BURNLEY will make retaining their current squad a priority in the last week of the transfer window.

The Clarets remain in the market for new signings before next Friday’s 11pm deadline, with manager Eddie Howe believed to be making moves to bring Brett Pitman in from Bristol City.

But after losing Jay Rodriguez in the summer, the club is desperate to avoid further departures.

Key players including Chris McCann and Charlie Austin have both been linked with other clubs.

Norwich were strong favourites to sign midfielder McCann in the close season, and there is nothing to suggest that avenue is cut off. Austin, meanwhile, was tipped as a target for tomorrow’s opponents Huddersfield Town in the event of them selling striker Jordan Rhodes.

But the Clarets are determined to keep the current crop together.

“We’ve spoken about bringing reinforcements into our own squad. The biggest priority is to make sure we don’t lose anybody else,” said assistant manager Jason Tindall.

“If we were to lose anybody else it would be one of our better players, with a bigger club to come in for them.

“We certainly don’t want to do that.

“We’re hoping that doesn’t happen, but in football you never know.”

After losing Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears to Bolton two weeks before the start of last season, Danny Fox was sold to Southampton in the opening week, while on transfer deadline day winger Wade Elliott completed a late move to Birmingham City.

Twelve months on, Burnley are only interested in adding to the squad they have started the season with.

“We’re always looking to strengthen, whether we can or not is a different matter, whether the players are available that we’d like to bring in also impacts in that,” added Tindall.

Although the club would benefit financially from the expected £14million sale of Steven Fletcher from Wolves to Sunderland – possibly to the tune of around £1million thanks to a 15 per cent sell-on clause – Eddie Howe’s number two insists the club hasn’t been pre-occupied by the ongoing transfer talk.

“We haven’t really got half an eye on that, what will happen will happen. We’re not in control of that,” he said.

“Obviously if he does go for a good sum of money we know the club benefit and get some of that.

“If we get any of that money to invest back into the squad then we’ll try to do that.

“But that transfer’s not gone through yet so that’s not something we’ve really been focusing on.

“But our main focus is on Huddersfield first and foremost and anything that happens, it happens.”

Meanwhile, Burnley are hoping to have Martin Paterson available for tomorrow’s trip to newly promoted Huddersfield.

The striker missed the midweek defeat at Middlesbrough after suffering a tightness in his hamstring following a goalscoring performance in the opening day win over Bolton.

His absence was more a precaution rather than another injury scare.

But assistant boss Tindall admits Paterson will only feature against the Terriers if he is fully fit.

“One thing you don’t want to do with being so light on numbers is risk anybody unnecessarily. We’ll have a look at Pato and assess him and if he’s 100 per cent fit he will be involved. If he’s only 95 per cent fit then it might be a different matter,” said Tindall.

Keith Treacy has returned to training following a groin problem, but is not yet expected to be available for selection.

“It will be good to get him back up to speed as quickly as possible,” Tindall continued.

“He does give us another attacking option.

“There’s never been any doubt in Keith’s ability to create goals and score goals. If we can get him up to speed quickly then he’ll have a big part to play, and hopefully he can have an impact.”