BURNLEY boss Sean Dyche is looking to protect his unbeaten record in the East Lancashire derby and secure a cup win for the Clarets tonight.

Burnley head to Ewood Park having drawn three and won three in their last six meetings, doing the derby double in their promotion season of 2015/16.

And while preserving Premier League status is a number one priority at Turf Moor, Dyche wants to remain the toast of Lancashire.

Asked how seriously he was taking it, in terms of the League Cup being a distraction to their Premier League goals, Dyche said: "As seriously as every game that I’ve ever taken in my career.

"I’m a great believer that when that whistle blows, you’ve got to be ready to play it.

"Every game counts, for whatever reason, whether it’s in pre-season, when the mentality’s growing.

“All the games are serious for me, and this one is definitely serious.”

Dyche could give a debut to new record signing Chris Wood, who completed an initial £15million move from Leeds United on Monday.

"We’ll see,” said the Burnley boss. "He’s up and running, we know that."

But Dyche is confident that any changes would not be to the detriment of the strength of his team.

"I think we’ve changed. When you look at the group, there are players who didn’t play on Saturday who have been bought in here for millions of pounds,” he said.

"The building process year on year has allowed us to have a deeper group. So if I do change the side, there are players who I absolutely believe in, players who have played in the Premier League.

"I haven’t decided yet. There are a couple who will maybe come and play."

Dyche has never tasted defeat in the East Lancs derby, but said: "Even that, I don’t look too much to the past. I look to the future.

"It’s an important game, it’s a cup game. It’s very important in the area, of course, so it’s a good game, I think.

“I’ve played in a number (of derbies) and they’re all different.

“Even the ones I’ve experienced here as manager have all been different for different reasons.

"Things have happened in individual moments, good performances and not so good performances for each team.

“In one of our best performances we drew.

“I think it was my first one. Robbo (Paul Robinson, who went on to sign for Burnley) was outstanding for them. Charlie Austin could have had a hat-trick and we ended up having to score late on to get a draw. But if you looked at chances created and efforts at goal it was probably the best performance.

“They’re all different."

Asked for his thoughts when the draw was made, he added: “I saw it as another good game for the people here, another exciting game, all of those things.

“I just don’t get that emotional about these things.

“One game doesn’t make a season. That’s one thing I know for sure."