Sean Dyche admits Burnley might struggle to hold onto their stars in January

Burnley manager Sean Dyche has admitted he can not guarantee his side will not lose any players during the January transfer window.

The Clarets have enjoyed a remarkable start of the campaign and with three games to go until the halfway stage of the season they sit seventh in the Premier League table, only two points off the Champions League places.

Burnley's form is made even more impressive considering they sold Michael Keane and Andre Gray to Everton and Watford in the summer, after losing Kieran Trippier and Danny Ings to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool respectively 12 months earlier.

While he insisted he could not give reassurances that some of his side's best players would not leave Turf Moor over the next two transfer windows, Dyche remained adamant the club was in a strong position.

"We've had interest in our players ever year, from Charlie Austin [who left the club in the summer of 2013] all the way through, so were used to it," he was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

"We're happy with the contract situation with our players and that's all you can do nowadays.

"It's a market and, when you think of some of the numbers this summer, there is no ceiling. So it's not realistic for me to sit here and say none of our players are going anywhere."

However, the 46-year-old. whose side host Stoke City on Tuesday night (12 December) ahead of a trip to Brighton over the weekend, hinted the Clarets might not have the financial clout to retain all their star players.

"Some teams can do that but we can't [ensure we keep all of our players]," he explained.

"The players are under contract, so we know where we are as a business. The fact they're getting looked at - if they are - is a sign of our success.

"That's part of what's been going on for the five seasons I've been here. We're not under pressure to make sales but the market is what it is."

Meanwhile, Dyche confirmed club captain Ben Mee could feature against the Potters and will be assessed before the game, while Phil Bardsley is expected to continue to deputise at right-back in place of Matt Lowton, who has missed the last four games with a knee injury.

Long-term absentees Robbie Brady and Tom Heaton will miss the game, after the former underwent knee surgery last week, while the latter is recovering from a dislocated shoulder.

Following their trip to the south coast on Saturday (16 December), the Clarets face a testing run with a trip to Old Trafford sandwiched between home games against Tottenham and Liverpool within nine days.