SCUNTHORPE United face a fine judgement call over two of their key players as they return to action at Burnley this afternoon.

After three weeks without a game and five games without a win, dare the Iron risk bringing back defender David Mirfin and striker Garry Thompson?

Both will have a key role to play if United are to pull clear of relegation trouble in the second half of the season.

Neither is yet 100 per cent match fit after recovering from their respective injuries – but these are becoming desperate times for Scunthorpe, just one place off the foot of the Championship table – and still with only one home win all season.

Mirfin has been out for two months with a foot injury, while Thompson has not figured in the starting line-up since August because of a groin problem.

"From my own experience as a player being near the bottom of the table, you do need your experienced players," confessed assistant manager Kevin Pressman.

"You need the experienced ones to help the younger ones and show a bit of composure in games where pressure sometimes tells on the others."

Mirfin and Thompson have been badly missed by United.

Without Mirfin the defence looks vulnerable and without Thompson the attack is desperately short of goals.

But Pressman knows the pitfalls of rushing them back too soon.

"Garry has been close. He has been coming on nicely," said Pressman.

"But the important thing for us is we do not want to rush him back too early and for him to have a reaction to the problem he has had.

"We want to keep him fit for the rest of the season. We don't want to bring him back for a couple of games and then lose him again for the next four.

"It's a similar scenario with David Mirfin.

"He is back in training and coming on well, which is massively important.

"He is a good professional and knows what it is all about. I would have no concerns with him doing a job.

"But if he does come back against Burnley, he will be coming back without playing any games."

Pressman is anxious to see Scunthorpe back in action today.

"Our first priority is to get games on," he said.

"If we do that then we are confident we can turn our form round and start afresh and make sure we start 2011 in a positive manner."

Scunthorpe visit Doncaster on New Year's Day and then entertain Watford next Monday.