Brighton boss Chris Hughton does not envisage relegation for the Clarets, regardless of this afternoon’s outcome at Turf Moor.

Burnley dropped into the bottom three courtesy of Cardiff’s Friday night win against Wolves, before defeat at fellow strugglers Crystal Palace kept them there over the weekend.

A midweek defeat to Liverpool means the Clarets head in to today’s game second bottom with nine points from 15 games.

But given the congested nature of the bottom half of the Premier League, with Burnley effectively just a win away from 15th, and more or less the same squad that earned seventh spot and a place in Europe, Hughton is confident Sean Dyche’s side can get themselves out of trouble.

Asked if he saw Burnley going down, he said: “No I don’t.

“By the standards of last season, it’s been a difficult season for them as regards results.

“There aren’t too many changes, they have a squad which is relatively the same, they have a way of playing that’s relatively the same and things will kick in for them.

“I’m very confident about that. They’ve got a very good manager, they’ve got a way of playing that over a season will get them results.

“They’ve had a difficult start by their standards but I very much expect them to improve.

“Do I see them as a team that will go down? No I don’t.”

Dyche was equally complimentary of Brighton counterpart Hughton and the job he has done at the AMEX Stadium, with the Seagulls sitting in 10th.

“Chris is an all-round top bloke really, off the pitch as well as a manager. I think he calls it fairly and honestly. And I think it’s recognised in football that he’s doing a good job, and his team as well, and he deserves all the credit he gets,” said the Burnley boss.

“It’s certainly not an easy task playing against them, they’re organised, happy to play long when they need to, happy to fight when they need to, work from a shape.

“They’re similar but different to ourselves in some ways and we know it’s another tough game, particularly when we’re having a tough time.”