Burnley make the short trip to Blackpool on Saturday afternoon looking to further strengthen their hold of top spot in the Championship standings.

At a time when the Clarets sit 12 points clear of second-placed Sheffield United, Blackpool are four points adrift of safety at the bottom end of the table.

Match preview

Having huffed and puffed their way past a Fleetwood Town side in the FA Cup which had 10 men for half the contest, Burnley cannot claim to be firing on all cylinders.

That has been the case for a number of weeks with Vincent Kompany's team relying on a number of late goals, yet this is an outfit who are now 15 matches unbeaten in all competitions.

The reward for edging past League One opposition on Wednesday night is a trip to Manchester City, handing Kompany a reunion with his former club.

For now, though, full focus is on trying to accumulate maximum points from their next three Championship games, with that level of return likely being enough to put Burnley on the brink of promotion.

Not since January 7 have Burnley conceded more than two goals in a fixture, a streak lasting 11 matches, and Kompany will expect to extend such a run versus their next opponents.

However, Blackpool will not be underestimated by the Belgian and his squad with their hosts having put together a four-match undefeated streak at Bloomfield Road.

On the back of three successive draws, Mick McCarthy's side edged out Stoke City by a 1-0 scoreline, and that has kept the Seasiders in contention to avoid relegation.

Nevertheless, subsequent defeats have followed at Blackburn Rovers and Reading, putting Blackpool in a position where they are at risk of being cut adrift from 21st position.

That particularly rings true with none of their direct rivals to come until April 7, heaping the pressure on McCarthy and his players ahead of trying to inflict the first defeat on Burnley during the calendar year.

Team News

Shayne Lavery and Gary Madine will both be assessed after sustaining hamstring injuries at Reading last time out.

Ian Poveda-Ocampo and Morgan Rogers could replace the pair in the Blackpool attack, although Jerry Yates is pushing for a return to the squad.

Lewis Fiorini may also come back into contention, while Charlie Patino is an option after remaining as an unused substitute versus the Royals.

Having made five alterations for the FA Cup tie in midweek, Kompany may recall the majority of the players who dropped out of the Burnley XI.

However, Ian Maatsen remains sidelined with a shoulder injury, while risks may not be taken on the other players who remain in the treatment room.

Blackpool possible starting lineup:
Maxwell; Lyons, Nelson, Thorniley, Husband; Bowler, Connolly, Carey, Garbutt; Poveda-Ocampo, Rogers

Burnley possible starting lineup:
Muric; Roberts, Ekdal, Beyer, Taylor; Cullen, Brownhill; Tella, Gudmundsson, Zaroury; Barnes

We say: Blackpool 0-2 Burnley

McCarthy will naturally hope that an all-North West showdown acts as the catalyst for his side to produce one of the most surprising results in the EFL this season. However, we cannot back against a Blackpool side who will be motivated to move closer to a return to the top flight.

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