KEITH Curle is anticipating Burnley will bring their big guns to Boundary Park.

Tomorrow’s friendly (kick-off 1pm) is the Premier League Clarets’ first pre-season game in preparation for the upcoming 2021/22 season.

And history tells Curle that his counterpart, Sean Dyche, will bring a strong squad, which will mean a return for former Latics defender James Tarkowski.

“Historically I think Burnley in their pre-season games, they are always competitive, they play a relatively strong team in all they’re games, trying to create pictures of how he (Dyche) sees his team developing,” said Curle, for whom the game will be his side’s fourth friendly.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they come here with a full compliment of players and they all get game time.”

Curle and Dyche had an unusual football dynamic, for while manager of Northampton Town, he gave the Burnley boss’s son, Max, his debut for the Cobblers.

But Latics boss insists the young defender was not treated any differently than any other of his players.

“I treat everyone as individuals and with respect. I know his dad, I’ve played against his dad, but whether his dad is in football or is an accountant, everybody that I manage I treat with the same level of respect,” said Curle.

“His son was a credit to Sean, not only for his attributes on the pitch but his characteristics and his demeanour off the pitch. A very nice young man.

“And Sean is one of those individuals that doesn’t believe his own hype. He always picks up the phone, always returns calls, always returns messages, which is something that I like about individuals.

“As a manager I try to get round to as many phonecalls and texts as possible.

“I know he’s a busy person but he does return calls, which is pleasing.”