LUKAS Jutkiewicz is relishing a battle with Sam Vokes for a place in Burnley’s starting line-up as the Welsh international nears a return to fitness.

Vokes has been absent since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the early stages of the Clarets Championship clash with Leicester City in late March.

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But he is now beginning to step up his recovery and has started working outside with the fitness team, with a view to a return before the end of the year.

Vokes’ partnership with Danny Ings was central to Burnley’s promotion last season, with the pair plundering 41 Championship goals on the way to a second place finish in the league.

Jutkiewicz, who at 6ft 1in is the same height as Vokes, arrived at Turf Moor from Middlesbrough this summer and has started every Premier League game so far.

But with Vokes edging ever closer to a return to full training, Jutkiewicz, who spent last season on loan at Bolton, knows he will have a fight on his hands to keep his place in the team.

“The best way to improve as a team and individually is when you’ve got a competition for places,” he said.

“Hopefully we can get all the guys that have been injured back out on the training pitches as soon as possible and give the manager a nice headache.”

In Vokes’ absence Jutkiewicz partnered Ings up front for the first three and a half league games of the season, before last season’s top scorer suffered the hamstring injury at Selhurst Park that has kept him out since September 13.

But he is now back in training and could return to the starting lineup for Saturday’s visit of West Ham to Turf Moor, and Jutkiewicz is keen to reunite that partnership.

“Danny’s a quality player so it’s a massive boost for us to have him back with the squad,” he said, “I’m looking forward to hopefully getting out on the pitch with him again.”

Those two, as well as Sean Dyche’s other striking options, Ashley Barnes and Marvin Sordell, are yet to get off the mark this season.

Jutkiewicz’s performances up front, particularly his ability to give defenders a physical game and bring teammates into the play, have been praised by Dyche, but the 25-year-old is aware it is goals he will ultimately be required to contribute, even if the team’s 655 minute goal drought came to an end in the 2-2 draw at Leicester City.

“That’s the part of the job, it’s what strikers are ultimately judged on,” he added, “whilst performances haven't been too bad it would be good to get the goal.

“I’m not really too worried about the external talk, we’ve always prided ourselves on what we do and making sure that we’re focusing on everything inside the club and whatever is going on outside the club is irrelevant.”

Whoever Jutkiewicz partners up front on Saturday, the Southampton-born frontman is only focusing on how the Clarets can pick up their first win of the campaign.

“The aim is always to look at the next game and try and win the next game,” he said, “no matter who you’re playing against, we’ve got West Ham and it’s no different from any other game, we look at the best way we can get three points.”