Alexander has scored 18 goals in 130 appearances for Burnley

Burnley manager Brian Laws believes Graham Alexander's return from injury will provide a major boost to the club's hopes of avoiding relegation.

The 38-year-old Scotland international defender has missed their last four games with a calf problem picked up in their defeat at Bolton in January.

Laws told BBC Radio Lancashire: "He's in my thoughts for this weekend.

"It's his organisation, communication and composure that we could do with and the sooner we get him back the better."

Burnley host bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth in a must-win clash at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Both sides have endured difficult seasons so far, with the visitors looking set to go into administration on Friday - an outcome which will see them handed a nine-point deduction.

Everything's in our hands... without having to rely on anybody else's results Burnley manager Brian Laws

But after conceding four goals in 12 minutes during Sunday's 5-2 defeat by Aston Villa, Laws says his focus has been on avoiding a repeat performance this weekend.

"We've spoken to the players and the disappointment was that they were very basic errors," he said. "Would I expect to see it again? No.

"I don't know what triggered it but we were very composed for the first half and looked comfortable and even though they scored we didn't look panicky.

"I believe we're still in a very good position. If anybody had said before the season kicked off 'would you take 12 games to go and there's only one point between six teams?', I think everybody would've jumped at that and said 'yes'.

"Therefore, everything's in our hands and we know we're more than capable of doing it on our own without having to rely on anybody else's results."

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