FA CUP finalists Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Clarets winger Glen Little.

Little has been a key figure in Burnley's push for promotion this season.

And Villa were set to watch him in action against Gillingham on Tuesday night before learning that he was in the middle of a three-match ban.

The 24-year-old wide man is a former Turf Moor team-mate of Villa coach Gordon Cowans.

And Cowans' influence, as well as Little's performances this term, may have been a factor behind manager John Gregory's decision to have the player checked out.

Little will be absent again on Saturday when Burnley boss Stan Ternent will be hoping to celebrate his 100th-game in charge of the club with a win over third-placed Millwall to revive the Clarets' automatic promotion hopes.

And midfield hard-man Lenny Johnrose also looks set to miss the next two matches after suffering concussion against Gillingham on Tuesday night.

"The neurologist probably won't let him play for a week but I am still awaiting confirmation on that," said Ternent.

"It's a blow to lose Lenny at this point in the season because he's been playing extremely well.

"But this is why we have a squad system."

Tuesday's 3-0 defeat by Gillingham was undoubtedly a major setback for the Clarets.

But if they can beat Millwall on Saturday, Ternent's men will go above the in-form London side -- who then face the Gills on Easter Monday -- and have Wigan in their sights again.

Saturday's must-win clash will also see Ian Wright feature against the club who were interested in bringing him back to London when he left Celtic in February. There was contact between Wright's camp and Millwall but with terms proving a stumbling block and Burnley making their move the former England striker duly arrived at Turf Moor.

Wright could therefore come in for some extra attention from Millwall's likely big following, although joint manager Alan McLeary stressed that there would be no special treatment for the Clarets' star.

McLeary said: "If he plays, he plays. That's something else we will contend with on the day. It's not something we will plan in great detail for.

"He's just part of the squad and one of 11 players that will be on the pitch trying as hard as possible to get a victory for them. We have to try and contend with that and play our own game."

Millwall are likely to be unchanged from the side that won 3-1 last weekend at Brentford, Burnley's opponents at Griffin Park next Monday.

Ternent, meanwhile, clocks up his 50th game at the helm this season to make it a century in all since his arrival from Bury.

The manager's record from his 99 games to date reads: won 37, drawn 30, lost 32.

However, he did inherit a struggling side and spent last season re-building which was reflected in a record of 13 wins, 17 draws and 20 defeats in league and cup.

This season, the Clarets have won 24 games, drawn 13 and lost 12, with three wins and four defeats in cup competitions to leave them considerably better placed than when Ternent started his reign.

As a result, a play-off finish is now the minimum expectation this season and two wins out of four should ensure that.

Former Burnley midfielder Warren Joyce has been sacked as Hull City's player-manager with the Tigers just below half-way in the Third Division.