BURNLEY travel to Portugal next week in fine shape after hitting the ground running in pre-season.

Sean Dyche is delighted with the fitness levels of his players following their first full week back in training.

Now the focus moves to warm-weather training at an elite sporting camp on the Algarve, where long-term plans can be put in place.

"It's been a good first week. The lads are looking in good shape, which is always a plus," said Dyche.

"Pre-season is there for a reason and that's to get them fit, but it's always nice when they come back well because you can then look to fast-track things.

"It's also a more traditional pre-season than last year, when we had the Europa League to prepare for.

"It gives the players a more familiar plan of where we are going building up to the first game, and that involves six weeks of ramping things up, where everything is meticulously planned.

"You still have to be flexible in terms of picking up niggly injuries, illnesses and bedding in new players.

"But the outline plan has been laid down a long time ago. We've had this soft start, with this weekend off and then, of course, we go away to Portugal for a good week's work."

The full Clarets squad will go to Portugal, including all the international players who have been given an extra week off.

Meanwhile, the search for new players continues, albeit with no news of any arrivals on the horizon.

"Everyone knows, and I don't have to keep saying this, that we have certain financial parameters we have to adhere to, and it's tough," added Dyche.

"That's not doing anyone down and it's not a negative; it's just speaking the truth and that's always the best way to be, in my view.

"We have to find the players who can fit the club and who fit into the right price level and the right contract level, which is always getting tougher.

"That often means we are not the first ones to get that player, due to the simple facts there are clubs out there with more financial prowess than us.

"It's a big challenge, but we've had that before and we have it again this summer."