MARK Ford is poised to step in from the cold to help Burnley's survival fight at play-off chasing Wigan tomorrow.

Ford hasn't figured in the Clarets line-up since their win at Millwall six weeks ago.

But with Stan Ternent's squad hit by a crippling list of injuries and suspensions the midfield terrier will get the chance to return to the action at Springfield Park and stake a claim for a role in the season's run-in.

Burnley will be without Andy Cooke, Lenny Johnrose, Ally Pickering, Chris Brass, Mark Robertson and Peter Swan.

So it's all hands to the pump for Ternent's men in an effort to make amends for last Saturday's 5-0 home defeat by Gillingham.

Steve Davis, Glen Little and Steve Morgan are also set to return to the starting line-up and Little or Graham Branch may partner Andy Payton up front with Ronnie Jepson not yet fit enough to start a game.

It goes without saying that Burnley would dearly love a first win in six games to open up some daylight between themselves and the bottom four.

But just as important for their prospects for the remainder of the season is a show of pride and character after the Gillingham set-back. "I expect that as a pre-requisite," Ternent confirmed. "That didn't happen last week but that will be the last time.

"Winning is the name of the game, not how you do it or if you are playing well.

"Anything tomorrow has got to be better than last week."

And captain Gordon Armstrong is expecting the players to learn from the Gillingham experience and not just banish it from their memory banks.

Armstrong said: "After something like that, as embarrassing as it was, you've got to try and keep hold of a little bit and use it to try and inspire the lads to do better because we can't have that again.

"We are not in it (the relegation zone) yet but we will end up in there if we keep playing like we did on Saturday."

And despite their recent run, the Burnley staff and players are upbeat about their prospects of pulling clear of trouble and capitalising on their three-point cushion above the relegation places.

"There's no other way," insisted Armstrong. "We have just got to get as many points as it takes to keep up this season. It's all about that now. That's all everybody wants to do. Hopefully we've got Steve Davis coming back who's done great for us since he came so he's a big bonus."

And despite last Saturday's result, Armstrong believes that Burnley's next three games against promotion-chasing sides Wigan, Man City and Preston will lift the Clarets

He added: "It will probably help us. Obviously the two home games are big games and they will bring a lot of supporters and Wigan are flying so it will be a tough game.

"I am not saying Burnley fans, but maybe a lot of people won't expect us to beat these teams but we have got to be up now, 100 per cent, to get results."

Burnley from: Crichton, Moore, Morgan, Ford, Davis, Reid, Little, Mellon, Payton, Armstrong, Branch, Jepson, Maylett, Williamson, Scott, Vindheim, Kval.

Eighth-placed Wigan are expected to include defender Gareth Griffiths in place of the suspended Stuart Balmer in the only change from the side that won at Macclesfield last Saturday to keep up their top-six challenge. Wigan from: Carroll, Bradshaw, Sharp, McGibbon, Giffiths, Rogers, Liddell, Greenall, Lee, O'Neill, Barlow, Lowe, Porter, Green, Martinez.

Tomorrow's scheduled Burnley 'A' team home Lancashire League game against Wrexham has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

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