BURNLEY boss Sean Dyche insists his team are still in good shape ahead of the final stretch despite a worrying run of results.

The Clarets lost 2-0 at home to Manchester United and have now won just once since January during a tough sequence of Premier League fixtures.

First-half goals from Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney did the damage on a weekend when Burnley saw Swansea and Hull beneath them both win, leaving Dyche's men just five points above the bottom three.

"On paper it looked like a tough run and it was always going to be, especially with the form Everton are in at their place and then Manchester United 22 unbeaten," said Dyche.

"We've cheated the system a few times in what people think of a game but you can't do all the time. We've done it well here, we've played some teams who are well fancied here and taken ten Premier League wins.

"When you look at the points on the board now and historically with our last two efforts, we're in good shape – against all the odds, as no-one gave us any chance at all."

Meanwhile, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have again been urged by Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho to overcome fitness concerns and return to his injury-hit side after they moved one point off the top four.

A United line-up missing defensive duo Jones and Smalling, as well as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo, overcame Burnley at Turf Moor to extend their unbeaten run to 23 league games.

United, who are still in the Europa League, will now enter Thursday's derby encounter with fourth-placed Manchester City just a point behind their neighbours.

But the accumulation of fixtures continues to come at a cost, with Paul Pogba now a concern for that match after he came off late on in east Lancashire.

With his options decreasing, Mourinho had last Thursday implored Jones and Smalling "to be brave" and take a risk on their respective foot and knee problems.

Yesterday he once more issued a public message to the pair by insisting Eric Bailly's continued presence in his team should inspire them to return for the collective cause.

"He (Bailly) is incredible. If I was Smalling or Jones, I would play Thursday, with anything, I would," said Mourinho.

"I wouldn't accept one guy to play nine matches in a row because I am injured. I would do a last push.

"If they have a crazy mentality like I have, they would (play on Thursday). If they are safe thinking and they are surrounded by people with the same mentality they have, it is more time, more cautious. If it was me, nobody would stop me to play."