Clarets chief Stan Ternent is refusing to write off Burnley's automatic promotion chances as they prepare to take on Second Division leaders Bristol Rovers at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Fifth-placed Burnley are 11 points behind Rovers with one game in hand and 10-points behind second-placed Preston.

But Ternent is definitely not throwing in the towel as his side look for their eighth successive home victory, having equalled the seven-game winning streak they last enjoyed at Turf Moor in the 1977/78 campaign by beating Oldham Athletic 3-0 a fortnight ago.

He said: "I think we are capable of maintaining a top-six place at worst but we have certainly not given up on looking for automatic promotion.

"The lads are doing extremely well. They have given themselves a chance and they are not going to let it go lightly after what they went through last time."

Burnley still have over a third of their season to go and Ternent wants to make sure his side is in a position to capitalise if other teams falter when the heat is really on in the run-in.

He added: "We are in a reasonable kind of position and we want to stay there.

"We have just got to keep picking up points because the nearer you get to the post the harder it becomes.

"You get in a situation where you have to win and that will suit us." A play-off place would be a decent prize compared with last season's relegation battle.

But if Ternent's men can beat Bristol, Wigan and Preston in three of their next four home games then they will still have a chance of securing a top-two spot.

"There are still 19 games to go. No one game is more important than the others, although I suppose if we could win these three it would make a difference," Ternent added.

With right-back Dean West serving a one-match ban after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season a fortnight ago, Glen Little looks set to return to the Clarets starting line-up.

Ternent may stick to the formation that has served him well for the past couple of weeks, which means Little would start on the right-hand side of a five-man midfield in the only likely change to the side that hit back to draw 2-2 at Stoke City last Saturday.

Rovers may be unchanged after beating Wrexham 3-1 last Saturday, although former Arsenal and Portsmouth midfielder David Hillier is pushing for a recall after missing the last four games through injury. Ian Holloway's side has won more games and scored more times away from home than any other side in the Second Division to move to the top of the table.

However, their title push could be undermined next month due to international call-ups.

Leading scorer Jason Roberts has been picked by Grenada for their World Cup qualifying campaign, while Ronnie Maugee is set to play for Trinidad and recent signing Vitalijs Astafijevs, a £150,000 buy from Skonta Riga, will be leading his national side Latvia.

The trio are likely to be away for some time next month and Holloway, this week named as the Second Division's manager-of-the-month for January, may look to get Rovers' vital clash with Wigan on March 4 postponed if that is the case.

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