Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy has tipped Burnley to be in promotion contention this season, but admitted the Clarets could still be smarting from Premier League relegation.

Tonight’s visitors to Portman Road were demoted from the top-flight in May and have started life back in the Championship with two draws, away at Leeds and at home to Birmingham.

McCarthy, who believes there are similarities between the Burnley side that was promoted in 2014 and the team that he is putting together at Portman Road, thinks the Lancashire team will be a force this campaign, but acknowledged they may take time to adapt.

“They are re-adjusting to life in the Championship, but Sean Dyche knows the league and his players know it,” said McCarthy, whose side defeated Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 at Portman Road on Saturday.

“He (Dyche) didn’t go out and buy loads of players from the Premier League or loads of foreign players that didn’t know the league. They’ll get their head around it pretty quickly, but it does take a period of time.

“They (Burnley players) probably got double their money when they were promoted, were playing at full stadiums and none of them wanted to be in the Championship.

“They have probably had their wages cut, their bonuses will be all over the place so it is a bit of a reality check and you have to get yourself at it and back playing well.

“I had it at Sunderland, I joined with nine games to go and I was expected to keep them up. We got relegated and lost our first two games of the new season, we lost 11 games on the bounce, but we ended up in the play-offs.

“You might have to crack a few heads together, but they will be fine.

“They were impressive in the year they got promoted, they were a tough, resolute team with lots of good players and I’m expecting a really tough game.”

McCarthy, who could field an unchanged side for tonight’s game, has added even more potency to his attack, with the arrivals of Brett Pitman, Ryan Fraser and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, which could see them get over the line come May.

“Burnley had (Sam) Vokes and (Danny) Ings the year they got promoted, that was the difference between us and them,” added McCarthy,

“There are similarities between the teams. They did not work on a big budget although I think they probably have a bigger budget than we have now.”

Town’s Under-21 Development team beat Coventry, 3-0 at Playford Road, yesterday, courtesy of goals from Jonny Parr, Cameron Stewart and trialist James Alabi.

Full match preview in today’s Star and EADT