BURNLEY boss Steve Cotterill today moved to ease supporters' fears over the size of his squad ahead of the new Championship season.

The Clarets have just 14 professionals on their books ahead of Saturday's curtain raiser away to Crewe Alexandra.

But Cotterill, who this week unveiled Jamaican trialist Luton Shelton, insists he is pulling out all the stops to add to his numbers before the transfer window is introduced into the Football League for the first time at the end of August.

"We do need another few players. We know that and my summer has been all about that," insisted the

Clarets chief, who has bolstered his squad in pre-season by including second year apprentice Kyle Lafferty and Chris McCann.

"The only reason it has stopped since pre-season is because all the free transfers have gone. Now we are into trialists and chancing our arm with a few things.

"But we still have our fingers in a few pies and the transfer deadline is August 31, not August 6. So we still have a little period of time."

Cotterill is also confident his new look strike force of Ade Akinbiyi and Gifton Noel-Williams will soon strike up a goalscoring partnership.

The former Stoke City pairing drew a blank in pre-season, meaning that all of Burnley's goals came from midfield or defensive positions.

But Cotterill insisted: "I think the strikers will score goals. I don't have any doubts about that whatsoever.

"We know Ade can score goals and we know that Gifton can score goals because we have seen them. The sooner the better for them because as time passes, more talk and speculation mounts. But from my point of view, I am pretty calm about it.

"It's nice to be getting goals from other areas to be fair because that's something we didn't; so last season."

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland striker Lafferty is not expected to rejoin Burnley until Saturday following a stunning result for the Province last night.

The 17-year-old is currently on international duty with the U19 side, who beat Brazil 2-0 last night to set up an Elite Milk Cup final against the USA in Coleraine on Friday night.