Burnley are weighing up whether to ask Blackburn Rovers for a guard of honour when they meet at Ewood Park during the latter stages of April, according to The Sun.

The Clarets are currently in a very strong position despite being held to a 0-0 draw against Blackpool yesterday, sitting 17 points clear of third place at this stage with just 11 league games left to go this season.

With this in mind, they could potentially seal their promotion back to the Premier League shortly after the international break, with the Clarets returning to action on the last day of March when the interval ends.

And they could easily have a top-tier return wrapped up by the time they face Blackburn on April 25th, with Vincent Kompany's side unlikely to be happy if they haven't sealed it by then considering the lead they have over the likes of Sheffield United and Middlesbrough.

Blackburn, on the other hand, are unlikely to secure a top-two spot this season but could still be involved in the promotion mix with Jon Dahl Tomasson's side getting into top form at an important time.

That may not make them immune from giving their local rivals a guard of honour though, with The Sun believing that the Clarets are considering whether to submit this request to Rovers.

The Verdict:

This probably wouldn't go down too well with Blackburn's supporters - but it will only go on to benefit the Clarets who now have another reason why they should try and seal promotion as quickly as they can.

Josh Brownhill's injury is a worry but considering some of the other options they have at their disposal, the effects of his potential absence should be mitigated.

With the likes of Jack Cork and Josh Cullen able to operate in a deep midfield role, Ashley Barnes could potentially operate as an advanced midfielder with Anass Zaroury on the left and Johann Berg Gudmundsson on the right.

And they have no shortage of forward options either with Lyle Foster and Michael Obafemi coming in, so it's not as if they require Barnes or Tella up top at this stage despite both of them playing there at times.

With the depth they have and the lead they hold over their promotion rivals, it would be difficult to see them not sealing promotion with plenty of games to spare, something that won't bode well for Blackburn if they want to avoid this possible guard of honour.