BUOYANT Burnley manager Owen Coyle has urged his players to prove they are worthy of top billing in the Championship.

The fourth-placed Clarets take on leaders Wolves at Molineux tomorrow, com-pleting a set of meetings with the league’s top three.

Two games against Reading and one with Birmingham have earned a healthy return of four points – and it would have been six from a possible nine had Burnley been able to make more of their chances against Alex McLeish’s side.

But another Midlands side is now leading the way, and Coyle is keen not to let next week’s Carling Cup game at Chelsea distract them from their attempts to repeat last season’s win at Wolves.

“As a player, you want to play against the best players and the best teams, and as a manager, you’re no different,” he said.

“The group of players we have are looking forward to the games, they want to stand toe-to toe with the best players in the Champ-ionship, and obviously the cup game following.

“But the cup game will take care of itself, tomorrow is the focus and we know we’ll have to be at our very best to get anything from the match.

“Wolves are not top of the league by accident, they are there because they have been the best team up to this point, and the best team by some, with the goals they are scoring.

“They took a couple of little hits, and, all credit to them, they bounced back from that, and showed a resilience to go with the quality they have.

“Middle to front, and the defensive players they have, could hurt anybody, but we also know we have players who can hurt the opposition, and that’s what we’ll look to do.”

Coyle will need to make checks on Clarke Carlisle, Remco van der Schaaf and Alex MacDonald, after all three missed yesterday’s training session with the bug which affected Michael Duff and Robbie Blake last week, while Christian Kalvenes remains sidelined with a thigh and ankle problem.

But the Burnley boss says competition for places is still thriving.

“They’re all chomping at the bit to be involved and, as a manager - as much as you feel for them, it’s a terrific problem to have,” he said.

“Michael Duff was nothing but unlucky to miss out against Norwich after coming into the team and had been performing out of his skin, if you think back to Charlton he had a terrific performance and then the goalline clearance from Varney late on, and the double block on it.

“He was unwell against Reading and missed out, Chris Eagles came in and Grezza moved back and the team do well, so obviously Eagles stays in.

“Then there’s Ade (Akinbiyi), Alan Mahon – they’re training and working their socks off, and that in turn helps the ones in front of them, because that competition is keeping them on their toes.”

And Coyle paid tribute to the way Akinbiyi is not only training to his optimum, but also helping the progress of the young striker who has taken his place on the bench, Jay Rodriguez.

“Jay is pushing all the while, and I have no fears about playing him,” said Coyle. “He’s keeping Ade out of the 16, and I have nothing but praise for Ade, given the career he’s had.

“He’s on the training ground working his socks off, and he’s spending time with Jay.

“I’ve been at clubs where players are really selfish and think ‘here’s a young kid that’s going to take my place’, but nothing could be further from the truth.

“Ade, for anybody at the football club, is an unbelievable role model.

“He wants the best for the football club, and that sums up each and every one of them.

“We chat all the time, and he knows that if there’s ever a point he’s feeling down about anything, he can come to me, and all my players know that.

“I like to think I’m very hands-on with them, and if they’ve got a problem, I’m not saying I can help all the time, but I certainly listen and take it on board.”

Akinbiyi, who is in the last year of his contract, was linked with a loan move to Doncaster Rovers, but Coyle added: “A couple of things have come up, but nothing that I think would make Ade sit up and take notice.

“Each and every day he’s giving everything he can, and he’s very much part of my plans.

“At the end of the day, we can only pick 11, and 16 from there.”