How many times have managers of Burnley and Blackburn Rovers tried to play down the significance of the East Lancashire derby by claiming, “It’s just another game in the fixture calendar?”

Try telling that to 22,000 north-western football fans who will attend Turf Moor for the kick-off on Saturday 31st August at 12.30. I will admit from the start I am writing this short article from the perspective of a true born Claret supporter, and I am seriously worried about us suffering the first reverse against our deadliest of rivals in over a decade.

Ex-Claret gaffer Sean Dyche reversed the dominance the Ewood side had held over Burnley since their Premiership winning days and since then the Clarets have held the upper hand, culminating in Vincent Kompany’s 2022/23 Championship winning team wrapping up the title at Ewood Park of all places!

The current Burnley Chairman Alan Pace is however, presently conducting a “Fire Sale” at Turf Moor. Players are leaving Turf Moor in braces on a daily basis, gone are the days of the deadly Rovers ruining strike partnership of Danny Ings and Sam Vokes, bagging 30 goals plus a season.

No longer is there a duo available for Scott Parker like the goal machine that was Andre Gray backed up by the irrepressible Joey Barton or the team that romped the Championship with Benson, Maatsen, Tella and Zaroury at the forefront, shredding defences like an out-of-control combined harvester.

No matter how much Pace and the new Burnley manager Scott Parker put a spin on things selling players like Muric, O’Shea, Berge, Odobert, Zaroury and Twine has seriously undermined the squad depth at Turf Moor as we witnessed in the recent reverse at the Stadium of Light.

It’s now Bank Holiday Monday, the dust has settled since the Clarets’ defeat at Sunderland, but ominously for Burnley supporters like me, the summer exits look set to continue as a clutch of other players are being linked with a move away from Turf Moor.

Friday’s transfer deadline cannot come soon enough for me because James Trafford, Vitinho, Han-Noah Massengo, Manuel Benson, Luca Koleosho and Wout Weghorst are likely to be not around for the derby lunchtime kick-off.

I’m seriously not looking forward to the next five days as “Transfer Trepidation” kicks in, a home defeat on Saturday now looks to be a serious possibility, but who knows, Alan Pace might pull a few more rabbits out of his hat before then.