STEVE Cotterill reckons the 12-day break will put a spring back in Burnley's step.

Cotterill's tight-knit squad should benefit from the breather between league games, which will allow injuries to clear up before another gruelling seven games in three weeks, starting with Saturday's Turf Moor clash with Crewe Alexandra.

After that, a series of midweek matches offers no respite until another two-week break for international matches arrives in early October.

And Cotterill believes taking a step back from the daily grind will do his players the power of good before the next push.

He said: "Hopefully the players will all benefit from the break. It would be interesting to see how many other teams have been unchanged so far this season, because I bet there's not too many.

"But we are where we are and I am not going to start cribbing about things or getting hung up on anything.

"We can't afford to focus on the negatives.

"This is a good club with a good supporter base and a good set of lads I have inherited and added to. It's important we carry on the good work we've started."

The Clarets chief has intensified his search for new players during the enforced mini-break.

But no stone is being left unturned and he is also taking the opportunity to run the rule over French trialist and former Luton Town and Hearts winger Jean Louis Valois.

The 30-year-old, who has arrived at Turf Moor for a few days along with a second mystery trialist, is seeking a new club following brief spells with Spanish side Almeria and then Scottish minnows Clyde, where he scored the only goal in last week's Bell's Cup victory over Stranraer.

Meanwhile, Clarets keeper Danny Coyne is facing a race to be fit for the weekend after withdrawing from the Welsh squad.

Coyne, who pulled out of last weekend's trip to Azerbaijan with a hamstring tweak, had hoped to rejoin Mark Hughes' side after treatment for their crucial World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland tomorrow.

However, Coyne has not recovered sufficiently and will now undergo intensive treatment at Turf Moor this week in the hope of making the Crewe clash.