BURNLEY are battling to get their walking wounded fit for the final stages of the promotion push.

The Clarets head to Derby County tomorrow without injured talisman Steven Thompson, while doubts remain over the fitness of leading scorer Martin Paterson, ever-present Graham Alexander and on-loan defender Rhys Williams.

Thompson is not expected to return until next Saturday’s home game against Queens Park Rangers, at best, after sustaining ankle ligament damage in the 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest, while Paterson is recovering from a hamstring problem.

The striker was withdrawn from the Northern Ireland squad, for their World Cup qualifiers with Poland and Slovenia, straight after the last Championship game against Plymouth Argyle almost two weeks ago due to a hamstring problem and, up to yesterday, had not trained.

Williams went on international duty nursing a calf problem, but featured for Wales Under 21s against Luxembourg, but, after suffering a hamstring strain in Scotland’s 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Saturday, Alexander was not included in the Scotland squad to face Iceland at Hampden Park on Wednesday night.

“I’ve not been totally enamoured with the fact we've picked up a couple of injuries from those internationals with the players that have been away, but that’s just part and parcel of the game,” said Coyle.

“Each and every club probably has to deal with that, and we’re no different.

“There are always concerns, but we’ll have a look at it (today) and decide the best team to go and try to achieve the three points we’re after.

“I was fortunate as a player myself to be involved at international level. You can’t ask players to miss out on representing their country. As it is, as a manager now that obviously comes with the pitfall that they might pick up an injury. But I’m not alone in that, and every manager fears that when their players go away.

“There’s nothing we can do, we just have to assess it and make sure we try to get as many as possible fit and go and give of our best at Derby.

“Martin Paterson was obviously withdrawn from the Northern Ireland squad and hasn’t trained up to this point, although he still has a chance.

“Thompson’s certainly no chance for this week, and even next week he’d be a push. But he’s desperate to be involved.

“He’s terrific both on and off the park at the football club, brings so much to the team and the club and he’s desperate to get back out there. If it was down to him alone he would be ready for next week, so fingers crossed.”

Burnley went into the fortnight break for internationals on the back of four wins in a five-game unbeaten run and would surely secure a top six place with a similar outcome in the final four weeks, but Coyle warned: “We’re just trying to achieve as many points as possible.

“There’ll be a range of emotions with every game, that goes without saying, but the focus is just on Derby at the weekend and trying to get three points.

“It will be difficult but we know that if we get to our levels we’re capable of doing that.

“There’s always a tendency to get carried away, but we’re about hard work each and every game and we’ll look no further than Derby County because it would be folly to do otherwise.

“March counts for nothing, it’s behind us now. What we can do is go out and focus on what’s in front of us, and we have to get to the standards we’ve set all season. If we do that we give ourselves a chance, if we don’t then the nature of the Championship is that you’ll be in a really difficult game.

“We’ve had the break now so hopefully some of the lads are refreshed, although we do have a number of injury concerns, but I’m pretty sure whoever wears that Burnley shirt they’ll wear it with immense pride and do everything they can to try to achieve the valuable three points each and every game.”