IAN Cox has banished thoughts of World Cup qualification to the back of his mind as he concentrates all his efforts on pulling Burnley out of their mid-season slump.

The Clarets defender has just spent a couple of days with the Trinidad and Tobago squad as they step up their preparations for a Concacaf World Cup clash against Jamaica two weeks tonight.

But Cox doesn't yet know if he will be approached to play in that game and has put off any decision about his immediate international future as Burnley looked forward to three games in eight days, starting at Grimsby on Saturday.

He said: "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I don't even know if I will be picked.

"My first priority is still Burnley and all I want to do is get as many points on the board as possible and as quickly as possible to get us back closer to the top.

"I want to play as many games as I can for Burnley. That's first and foremost and if I'm not playing for Burnley I'm not going to get picked for Trinidad and Tobago anyway.

"I've got to keep focused on the job. We've not had the best of runs over the last two months and the last thing I need is to be distracted, especially the way the results have gone."

Cox may be faced with a tricky decision if Trinidad coach Ian Porterfield offers him the chance to add to the solitary cap he won prior to joining Burnley from Bournemouth just over a year ago.

The last thing the 29-year-old wants to do is risk missing any games for Burnley, where he is a key part of the side.

He has to offset that against the chance to play international football and the possibility of reaching the finals of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, but for now is looking no further ahead than Saturday's trip to Blundell Park.

"It becomes the most important game of the season," Cox said.

"In the games we have lost we have dropped a lot of points where if not winning them, we should at least have taking a point .

"We would have been happy with a point on Saturday and that would have at least stopped the rot because when you keep losing games confidence gets low, although the spirit in the camp is good."

The Clarets are without an away win since October but Cox is confident they can get their season back on track after a disappointing nine-match run.

"We will pull through," he added. "The manager is a winner and that will transpire to the players. We have to dig deep and work hard and hopefully it will turn sooner or later.

"The league table doesn't lie. We're not in the position we are by sheer luck and that's testament to the boys and the management staff and everyone to do with Burnley.

"We've got to make sure we go to Grimsby with the attitude that we've got to win the game and at least if we don't, come away with something. But we are good enough to win the game."

Burnley's reserves entertain Stockport County reserves at Turf Moor tonight (kick-off 7.15).