MITCHELL Thomas is kicking his heels waiting on the sidelines -- but he aims to be back in contention for a first team place soon.

The central defender is struggling with a hip problem which he picked up in one of the first days of pre-season training and, although it is not a major worry, it has forced him to sit out the Isle of Man tournament.

However 'Mitch' hopes being patient now will pay off shortly as he looks to get fit for the start of the new campaign.

"It is very frustrating just watching the lads train," said Thomas.

"You watch them working out and then having a laugh and joke in training and you do feel a bit left out of it.

"Missing pre-season is always a worry as it means you are playing catch-up but I am generally fit so I just hope it will be okay."

Thomas is very rarely injured. He missed just two games in his first season at Turf Moor -- one game with flu and another because of suspension.

And he sat out just three games last season, two with a back injury and one through suspension.

"That's just five games in two seasons. I am hardly ever injured but this is a niggling injury.

"I came to the Isle of Man thinking it would be okay but I can still feel it.

"It is stupid to rush back and I won't do that. The physio has told me it is best to leave it and rest so that is what I am doing.

"I can still go to the gym and swim but the main problem at the moment is striding out."

Thomas is aiming to be back in full training next week and then he can start looking towards getting some match fitness and playing his part in the new season.

But he knows he will not necessarily walk back into the team with Steve Davis, Gordon Armstrong, Ian Cox and himself battling for what is usually two central defensive spots.

"That is another worry when you are injured that you could lose your place but it is good at the club to have competition for places. That is what it is all about and I know I will have to work hard."

And, after just missing out on the play-offs last time out, he knows the expectations on the Clarets will be high for this coming season.

"No-one expected us to finish seventh last season.

"I think when we came up teams didn't know too much about us until it was too late in some of the games.

"I think all the sides who came up last season -- Preston, Gillingham and us -- were strong teams and it will be even harder this season with the likes of Coventry, Manchester City and Bradford not to mention the teams who have come up from the Second Division.

"There is a lot of money in our league at the moment and it is quite exciting as clubs try to get into the Premier League.

"It is the way things are going.

"But it is still our aim to make sure we stay up and consolidate in our second season in this division.

"We did do extremely well in the end so there is going to be a bit more pressure.

"Yet we have good players here who can cope with it and the coaching staff and the management who will make sure we do our best."