BURNLEY manager Owen Coyle has stressed his side will never be labelled dirty'.

Captain Steven Caldwell and midfielder Joey Gudjonsson were both given their marching orders, following two yellow cards, in the midweek defeat at Hull.

That takes the total of red cards since Coyle took over to six.

But Coyle did not believe there was a disciplinary problem at Turf Moor.

He said: "That will never happen (being labelled dirty). If you look at the other night, both sendings off were two yellow cards and you have to say you could debate each and every one of those four yellow cards.

"I think people know the way we like to play, and a dirty or rough team certainly doesn't come into the equation."

Caldwell and Gudj-onsson are both now suspended for today's trip to Stoke and Coyle has been forced to make changes, with Mark Randall and David Unsworth likely to deputise at the Britannia Stadium.

And, with injury ruling out influential midfielder Chris McCann, the Clarets boss is down to the bare bones and is ruing referee Mike Riley's card show at the KC Stadium.

He said: "I'm always concerned when I lose players. Having looked at them (against Hull), I felt an injustice on the night and, having looked at them again, I feel a greater sense of injustice.

"Having said that, we have no recourse of appeal for yellow cards, so we just have to bite our lip and move on.

"However, what it does do is leave us two players short for today."

And the absences couldn't have come at a worse time for the Clarets as they prepare to face the high-flying Potters.

Tony Pulis' side are still in the hunt for an automatic promotion place, although they are coming off the back of heavy defeats at the hands of Preston and QPR.

But Coyle, who watched his side draw 0-0 at Turf Moor, just hours after officially joining the Clarets, is expecting a very difficult match.

He added: "They've got good players and a good physical edge to their game and all credit to them.

"They've spent a lot of money and they're trying to reap the rewards of that.

"As it is, I think my first game in charge was against Stoke and it was a game I felt we could have won.

"So we'll go there today licking our wounds from the other night, but looking to go out and get back to the standard that we're used to.

"I hope that the players realise what's at stake. I want players who are totally committed to this club, who are hungry and who want to go out and win every game.

"It's important that we come out of the traps quickly and react to the Hull defeat in a positive way and show people what we're all about."