BURNLEY manager Eddie Howe intends to get a head start on pre-season training after setting his players summer fitness targets.

The Clarets were sent home at the end of last season with strict individual programmes to stick to over the holidays.

And Howe expects them to report back to Gawthorpe in good shape on June 30 and hit their weight targets.

The early stages of pre-season usually centre around fitness work, which includes plenty of running without the ball.

But Howe does not envisage any difficulties if his troops have stuck by their fitness regimes, and hopes to introduce ball work as early as possible.

“We are banking on the lads coming back very fit so we can spend most of our time concentrating on football rather than fitness,” said the Burnley boss.

“Football's a 12 months of the year job in terms of fitness.

“Gone are the days where players would come back after the summer holidays and be overweight.”

Howe is hoping to introduce some new faces when pre-season training begins a week on Thursday but as yet the Burnley boss has not been able to add to his squad, despite being linked with a number of players.

“We are on the hunt for players,” he said.

“We identified players a long time ago and it’s just a case of getting over the line with them.

“In an ideal world you would have your squad settled and go and do pre-season with them and bed the team down.

“But we are working hard and if things take longer they take longer, that's how it goes."

The Clarets have lost out on defender Jason Shackell, with the Barnsley captain set to choose between Portsmouth and Derby County, who are favourites for his signature.

Danny Haynes is the latest name to be mentioned in connection with a move to Turf Moor, but I understand the Barnsley striker is not on their list of targets.