Lewis Travis knows tonight’s East Lancashire derby would be ‘massive’ irrespective of what is riding on the game for Rovers.

Rovers know a win will move them back into the top six and give their hopes of a real boost, as well as denying the Clarets the chance to win the title at Ewood Park.

Travis says defeat at Turf Moor in the game before the World Cup break was a real low point, and while he credits the Clarets for securing promotion, he wants nothing more than to be the captain of a Rovers side who can topple their rivals.

“It’s massive, it would be massive if there was nothing riding on the game but even bigger with our league position,” Travis said ahead of the game.

“Burnley can win the league and we don’t want that to be happen, but our own goal is we want to get into the top six and that speaks for itself.

“We know how big the derby is, we’re focused on finishing in the top six, no matter how we do it and it has to start tonight.”

Despite starting the game in eighth spot, by virtue of their game in hand, Rovers’ destiny remains in their own hands.

That is despite a run of four successive draws and no win in six since the international break.

And Travis added: “We have three games to get into the top six, there’s no dressing it up, we can do it, we can beat any team on our day and just need to take our chance because you never know the circumstances and when you might get your chance again.

“If you said this at the start of the season we’d have snapped your hand of, but the last few weeks our performances have been good, we’ve just not been clinical enough.

“We should have won the games and would have comfortably been in the top six, but that’s not the case and we have to do it in the last three games.”

Goals conceded in injury time in the last two matches denied Rovers the chance of being inside the play-off spots heading into tonight’s game.

It has added pressure on the remaining fixtures, with Luton Town and Millwall to follow the visit of the Clarets.

“It hurts me a lot when we lose or drop points, but you get your head around it the next day when you’re driving in that you have another game in two days,” the 25-year-old said.

“You put that to the side and crack on for the next game.

“It means there’s more pressure on the next game but we have to stand up to that and be counted for.

“I think I’ve said it a few times now ‘it’s the biggest game of the season’ before in the dressing room.

“When you don’t get the three points it just puts added pressure on but we just need to stand up to that.”

Travis was handed the Rovers captaincy at the start of the season, and says it will be an honour to lead the side out tonight.

“Every time I walk the lads out is a proud moment but especially infront of our home fans in a derby, it’s going to be massive for me.”