CHRIS Brass has given new defensive duo Steve Davis and Mitchell Thomas his seal of approval - even though they have frozen him out of the first team picture.

The home-grown defender has had to watch from the sidelines as the former Luton Town duo have firmly cemented themselves as Stan Ternent's number one pairing.

Brass has few complaints, though, after being impressed, himself, by the Clarets re-shaped defence this season.

But he has vowed to take his chance when the opportunity arises.

"They've been doing very well," said Brass.

"They know each other from their Luton days and everybody knows what they're all about.

"And as long as they continue to do well then I'm sure the manager will quite rightly stick by them.

"But it's a funny game is football and you don't know what's round the corner.

"Next week, circumstances could arise where you are suddenly playing and hopefully you can go in there and do well."

Last season, Brass was virtually an ever-present, appearing 37 times in a variety of positions.

But the signing of Thomas on a free in the summer coupled with an early season stomach muscle problem have seen his chances limited to just two appearances this term.

That means Brass has had to be content with reserve team action for most of the current campaign.

The 24-year-old admits to feeling frustrated by the situation.

But he also acknowledges manager Stan Ternent needs strength in depth if the Clarets are to realise their goal of promotion to the Nationwide First Division. "The squad we've got is a good squad and that showed in the reserve team we put out last night," said Brass.

"It's the frustrating side of football but the team's doing very well and because of that you've just got to accept the circumstances.

"When you're given the opportunity to play you've just got to hope that you can go in there and take it.

"But it will only benefit the manager and I'm sure he likes being in this situation and really looking about the treatment room and thinking what team he's is putting out on a Saturday."

Last season, Brass was a key member of the side in the closing stages when the Clarets went 11 games unbeaten on the back of a 5-3-2 formation.

Ternent again opted for a similar system in the opening weeks of the current campaign.

But he has successfully switched back to 4-4-2 in the last couple of games and that appears to have curtailed Brass's chances even further.

"It hasn't helped (my chances) but it's just the way we've gone and we are going a bit more attacking at the moment," said Brass.

"But again we are playing that in the reserves so you can adapt to that.

"And if one of the centre halves or full backs got injured then you'd like to think that maybe you'd be given the opportunity."

But there's a long way to go yet this season and Ternent has said he will adapt a system to suit the opposition.

And with a player as adaptable as Brass, he could still have a crucial part to play, starting at Barnet in the FA Cup on Sunday, where Ternent may opt to play an extra defender.

"He may do but I've really no idea until we've talked about tactics later on in the week. We'll just have to wait and see what happens," said Brass.

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