SO FAR, so good – that’s the message from Burnley manager Sean Dyche as his players near the end of their pre-season programme.

With only a small squad at his disposal the Clarets boss has been even more mindful of the need to get through their summer schedule without injury.

Kieran Trippier and Ben Mee missed Saturday’s comprehensive 4-1 win at Carlisle United, but both are hoping to shake off minor problems to be back in action by the weekend, when Burnley host Sparta Rotterdam in the final friendly before the 2013/14 campaign gets underway on August 3.

The Clarets build up to their only home friendly with tonight’s game at Tranmere Rovers (kick-off 7.45pm), where Dyche is looking for his players to up the ante in terms of fitness and performance and push for their place in his side for the opening day game at home to Bolton .

“We’re trying to ramp up the sharpness and the training schedule's changing now from the real heavy work into the short and sharp,” said the Burnley boss.

“There was some really good stuff at Carlisle, some really good habits, you can see the fitness and sharpness is coming back.

“Obviously now you want the consistency of performance to last for 90 minutes.”

Of back-to-back pre-season wins, Dyche added: “Of course it’s nice when it goes well and we score some great goals and play some lovely football, that’s good.

“You’d accept that and you want that.

“But the target is still the same, to get them to the first game of the season fit and well in good shape.

“When you’ve got a small squad the art of the game is to get them right, get them ready and get them prepared. That’s what we intend to do.

“It’s working nicely at the moment on that level.

“Our performances have got steadily better.

“Of course performances are important but we have to have bodies available for the first game and moving onwards.

“We’re managing to get more and more minutes into people.

“Shacks (Jason Shackell) has played a full game, Tom Heaton played a full game.

“We’re building up the minutes and so far so good, no serious injuries just a few niggles which is why Tripps and Ben Mee didn’t play.

“They’re nothing too serious we don’t think at this moment.”

Dyche revealed he is also carefully monitoring David Edgar, who was named as an unused substitute at Brunton Park, following the defender’s return from international duty with Canada.

Dyche added: “I’ve told him not to worry about minutes on the pitch because he’s been getting loads of minutes.

“His build-up is slightly different.”