Clarets full-back Lee Briscoe has set his sights on a long awaited comeback at Gillingham on Saturday -- and could be helped by a run-out against Manchester United tomorrow.

Burnley are set to face the Premiership champions in a behind-closed-doors friendly aimed at helping injured players on both sides back to full fitness.

Briscoe and Glen Little will both be hoping to get some match practice under their belts, while United are planning to give Jaap Stam and Andy Cole further run-outs as they close in on a return to senior action.

Briscoe has been out of action since gashing his right knee against Norwich City and in his absence Burnley have won only one of their seven league and cup games.

"It's turned into a bit of a nightmare," he admitted. "With it being right on the bend of the knee it just couldn't get a scab on to heal up. The place where it cut made it such a long time.

"It's been a bit of a catch-22 situation. You want to try and keep some sort of fitness up without stressing the injury too much. But it's got a nice clean scar now and hopefully that's it now.

"Over the last 10 days I've been able to bend it but not been able to get involved in any contact so I've had some quite good fitness work and really now it's just a case of getting back into a game situation, getting the feel of the football again and the movement back into it."

After returning to full training yesterday the full-back reported no ill effects.

"It's not the best at the training ground so we did some five-a-sides and a few sprints and everything was fine," he said.

And he is now hoping to have some role to play at Gillingham Briscoe keen to play some part against Gills where the Clarets will be looking to build on Saturday's FA Cup draw.

"Obviously I'm a little bit short of match fitness but it's not too bad. Touch wood, if things go well this week I'll be available. My match fitness isn't 100 per cent and the gaffer will make his decision but I'd like to be able to play some part," he added.

Despite Paul Smith's welcome comeback, the Clarets have missed key men like Briscoe and his return will be a timely boost for boss Stan Ternent.

Briscoe is equally keen to get back into action to try and the former Sheffield Wednesday man is confident that the Clarets can get their League campaign back on track.

He added: "It's always frustrating when you're watching and even more so when things aren't going well.

"The likes of myself and Kevin Ball, who's missed a couple of games, want to get back in and help wherever we can.

"We always thought this was going to be the toughest section of the season, although I don't think people expected it to go quite as badly.

"The results have been poor but the performance levels haven't been too bad and in some games we've deserved more than we've got.

"There's no need to press any panic buttons and if we continue to do the right things I'm sure it will turn round for us."

Providing there are no hitches this week Briscoe will almost certainly come into the frame at the Priestfield Stadium, although the player isn't taking for granted an instant return against a side Burnley pipped for automatic promotion last season.

He said: "The lads who have played in my absence have done well. It's a case of me working hard and seeing what the manager wants to do.

"But if he wants to keep the players in there I've no qualms about that because I've watched every game and seen them do well."

"I think we probably deserved to win the game at home. I think the lads know more about Gillingham than myself having played them a few times in recent years and I'm sure they're confident they can beat them.

"It's a reflection on what a good start we made that having lost five straight games we aren't a million miles off the top six.

"If we just turn things round, one or two things start going our way and we get a couple of wins that will take us back to places where we want to be." FROM BACK PAGE