BURNLEY are ready to head off interest from Reading with an offer to persuade Glen Little to stay at the club.

And their chances of hanging on to their star winger will be significantly boosted by winning their biggest game of the season at home to Wimbledon tonight.

But Little is believed to be Royals boss Steve Coppell' s number one target when his contract at Turf Moor expires in the summer.

The 28-year-old originally turned down a new contract at the start of this season after returning from a loan spell at the Madejski Stadium, but the Clarets are hopeful they can convince him to re-sign.

Chairman Barry Kilby said: "We've been negotiating with Glen over the past couple of weeks. We've put a very good offer into him and we hope he takes it.

"But everybody is seeing what happens with the club and we have some vital games coming up.

"We put an offer in last month and he's been looking at it but no doubt he's looking round himself."

Meanwhile, Burnley boss Stan Ternent is ready to shrug off his injury crisis ahead of tonight's crunch meeting with Wimbledon by declaring: "We've got to win."

Tony Grant is the latest casualty to be added to the injury list when a knock on his knee forced him to be replaced during Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Cardiff City.

He will face a late test along with Ian Moore, who missed the trip to Ninian Park and has had a scan on his knee to assess the damage.

Neil Wood, Paul Weller and Dele Adebola also missed the game and are still doubtful, but Ternent is confident his side can overcome the absences when Wimbledon arrive at Turf Moor tonight.

He said: "Whichever side I put out is more than capable of scoring goals and winning matches.

"And we have to win this game because it's a massive one.

"We've got four matches left and three at home so we have to win two of them

"There is a lot at stake because the way the league is, it's so tight down there a win is massive."

A win would put Burnley three points of clear of third-from-bottom Gillingham and take them above Walsall and Derby, who visit Turf Moor on Saturday.