STEVE Cotterill is happy that Burnley have kept their confidence high ahead

of tomorrow's FA Cup clash with Liverpool.

The Clarets earned their third successive clean sheet and seventh in nine games - in a hard-fought draw with Reading on Saturday.

And Cotterill is now looking forward to pitting his wits against Rafael

Benitez's Reds in tomorrow's giant third round clash.

The Burnley manager said: "This was a good point for us and we can't look on it as two dropped just because it's a home game.

"If someone had said five games ago that we would have won four and drawn one at Turf Moor we would have taken that.

"At the end of the day it's good to get a point and get that game out of the way so that we can fully focus on the Liverpool game.

"They have excellent players and it just depends on what sort of team they decide to play.

"Rafael decided to field a few of his squad players last time, and it will be interesting now to see what sort of side they put out against us."

Cotterill has his own player worries ahead of the rearranged Reds' clash following injuries to both Michael Duff and Graham Branch, which he later described as "a disaster".

And after failing in his attempts to sign a mystery player on loan ahead of the Royals visit, Cotterill is now left counting the numbers - with first team coach Mark Yates standing by to make up the numbers on the bench.

The Clarets chief added: "Michael had a repeat of his calf tightening up after only half an hour against Reading, but what can you do?

"You think you have given him enough time and after training for two days you are hoping he is going to be all right.

"Then Graham has to come off at half time so it was just a disaster, especially with it being our two wide men."

A plus point of the dour stalemate with the Royals was the return to the squad of Danny Coyne and Jean-Louis Valois, while England U20 midfielder Richard Chaplow completed 90 minutes for the first time since late October.

Cotterill said: "It was difficult for us and we looked as if we hadn't played for a couple of weeks.

"It looked as though Richard hadn't played for three months and that Jean-Louis hadn't played for six weeks, so to make those substitutions so early in the game was a disaster for us.

"Reading came here and paid us respect by playing 4-5-1, but we just never got going and when that happened the important thing was to keep a clean

sheet, because they are as good at doing that as we are.

"There were few chances, and I thought Graham might have put his laces across that just before half time.

"He was leaning back and you thought there was only one place it was going to go and it did.

"Ian Moore then had one on his left foot, but he waited a little bit too long and the ball ran another circumference and Sonko got back with a last-ditch tackle

"Then, at the end, Jean Louis' effort would have been a good enough goal to grace any game. Maybe he is saving that one!