BEN Mee has hailed the influence of Dean Marney on the Clarets this season, as the midfielder faces a race against time to be fit for the trip to Stoke this weekend.

Marney is suffering from a nerve problem that saw him limp off against Manchester City shortly after scoring his first goal since March 2014.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The 32-year-old is one of four Burnley players to have started every league game this season, but that record could be in jeopardy at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

He would be a big miss for Sean Dyche’s side, and Mee has hailed the work Marney has done in the three-man midfield this season, laying a platform for Steven Defour and Jeff Hendrick to try and play further forward.

“He’s been brilliant,” said the former Manchester City defender, who captained the Clarets for the first time against his old club, of Marney.

“It’s a shame he came off with an injury. He does a job that nobody really notices. It’s important for us he carries on doing that job.

“It was nice for him to get a goal. It was a great finish and a good bit of quality.

Although the Clarets slipped to defeat against City, it was a proud day for 27-year-old Mee, who wore the captain’s armband in the absence of Tom Heaton, who missed out with a calf injury.

The Sale-born defender came through City’s youth system and won the FA Youth Cup at the Etihad Stadium in 2008, but he made just one senior appearance for the club in the League Cup.

He has now established himself as a key member of the side at Turf Moor, and he was captaining Burnley for the first time in his 194th appearance for the club.

“It was nice to fall on this weekend. It was a nice honour to lead the lads out against my old team,” said the proud Mee who joins Marney, Michael Keane and Matt Lowton in having started every Clarets game this season.

“I know I’m just filling in, it’s not like I’m taking over or anything like that.”

The central defender said he had found out he would be leading the side out on Friday when Heaton was ruled out after aggravating a calf injury in defeat at West Brom.

The England goalkeeper is hopeful of a return this weekend when the Clarets will look to improve a poor away record that has returned just one point, and one goal, from five away fixtures this term.

“We need to sort that out and play better away from home, we know that,” said Mee.

“We’ll look at that and we will improve. We’ve got an honest bunch of lads who will work hard to do that.”

Mee believes Burnley can take heart from their performance against City, while he also praised the display of stand-in goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Of the City clash he said: “It was more like us. We simplified things, we didn’t mess around too much and we wanted to make it uncomfortable for them and be something different that they’re not quite used to.

“We did that well and created a couple of opportunities, we were disappointed with the two sloppy goals.”

Of Robinson, he added: “He was brilliant. His experience was there for all to see.

“He took time on the ball, slowed the game down and did things at the right time.

“He pulled off a couple of brilliant saves as well. Fair play to him, he’s come in and done really well for us.”