CRAIG Short believes Rovers' Middle East adventure has refreshed the parts other trips couldn't have reached as Graeme Souness's squad prepare for Sunday's crunch derby with Burnley at Ewood.

A gruelling schedule of high pressure games left Rovers mentally drained as they jetted off into the sun last week.

But they returned on Tuesday with their batteries recharged ahead of a daunting run-in featuring nine games in the space of a month.

And Short believes the seven-day jaunt could yet give Souness's promotion-chasing squad a vital edge over their closest rivals in the race for that coveted second spot.

"It was the best trip I've ever been on and we've all come back feeling totally relaxed," said Short. "I've been to places like Spain with other clubs in the past but I've never been outside Europe before. And it was a great experience.

"I think what capped it was going to the races. We didn't think we were going to get any tickets because it was sold out.

"But practically all of us went apart from the manager and it was a brilliant experience. It was just like being in England because of all the English and Irish there.

"The weather was great and it was brilliant for people watching. But the trip as a whole left us all feeling completely refreshed."

While arch-rivals Burnley were left scratching around for training facilities due to the enforced closure of their Gawthorpe training ground because of foot-and-mouth, Short and his team-mates have been soaking up the sun in the millionaires' paradise.

Their hotel was about half an hour's drive from their Al Nasser training base -- a plush sporting club boasting impressive facilities.

During the mornings, the players alternated between the pool and the golf course in temperatures of around 80 degrees before training in the afternoons.

Souness -- shrewdly -- had personally come up with the idea for the trip as a bonding exercise.

And Short believes the feeling of togetherness which now exists between the squad could turn out to be a vital ingredient in their quest for promotion.

"Over the last few years I know the club has struggled and people like Garry Flitcroft have said that this is probably the best team spirit they've known since they've been here," said Short. "But I think that's because we are doing well.

"There's always going to be bickering and infighting when the team is struggling but you don't hear of players moaning about tactics when you are top of the league.

"I've learned from experience that players will always moan when things aren't going well and we could be tested in that sense over the remainder of the season if results start going badly.

"But that's when those seven days in Dubai might count for something because we'll be able to say 'we were together then so why aren't we now?'"

That togetherness is sure to be examined at Ewood on Sunday by a Burnley side still stinging from their derby defeat at Turf Moor back in December. Rovers' 2-0 victory that day was the first sign that they possessed the backbone for a serious assault on promotion.

And Short is adamant they now have the necessary character to see the job through to a successful conclusion.

"People tend to think if you've got the ability you should be able to just go out and do it, whatever the circumstances," said Short. "But it's a mental thing as well and it's all about mental strength.

"You get it when you get older but our young players have responded well this year after the criticism we got last season which was rightly deserved because we did underachieve."