BURNLEY are refusing to let speculation over Ade Akinbiyi's future deflect them from bouncing back to winning ways against Preston tomorrow.

The Clarets entertain North End against the backdrop of seeing their 14-goal hitman courted by promotion-chasing Sheffield United.

Negotiations have understandably ground to a halt ahead of a crucial weekend in the Championship, which sees Steve Cotterill's side back at Turf Moor for the first time in 2006 and aiming to inflict Preston's first defeat in 19 games.

And management and players are united in the common cause of earning Lancashire bragging rights and firing Burnley back into the play-off picture.

Winger Wade Elliott said: "We have some really good players in the squad, so there will always be speculation linking them with other clubs but it doesn't really affect us.

"As a player you get used to picking up the newspaper every week and seeing stories about people and I don't think anyone worries about the speculation.

As a team, we deal with that and get on with it.

"Unless something concrete happens, you just can't afford to get concerned by everything you read and every whisper you hear, or your focus wouldn't be on the job.

"Everyone has just been concentrating on getting a really good week under their belt in training and having a really good crack at Preston.

"We are still in amongst it and that puts massive emphasis on what is already a massive game.

"Preston are only a few points ahead of us and they are on a nice unbeaten run, TURN TO PAGE 51 FROM BACK PAGE so we have a double incentive to get back to winning ways and claw them back towards us."

Burnley's top scorer agonisingly misses tomorrow's clash through suspension, forcing Cotterill into an attacking change as he pits his wits against good friend and North End boss Billy Davies.

But the Clarets refuse to see Akinbiyi's absence as a negative, insisting all of Burnley's planning this week has been done with the knowledge they will be without their talisman striker.

Assistant boss Dave Kevan said: "All the speculation is very frustrating and I've seen the gaffer looking happier, but as soon as the Cardiff game finished, we were looking to Preston.

"We knew then Ade wasn't available so our preparation hasn't been affected in any way.

"Whatever other side issues are going on, they will be taken care of when the time is right but at the moment, our priority is Preston.

"We've got one or two options and whoever comes in, it gives them an opportunity. It also gives us an opportunity to show that when players are missing, albeit very important players, that we can carry on and grind results out."