HUDDERSFIELD Town boss Lee Clark today rubbished reports of Theo Robinson joining Leicester City in exchange for Steve Howard as he prepared to step up Town’s pre-season preparations at Bury tomorrow.

The Shakers clash at Gigg Lane (3.00) will be the fourth friendly so far, but the first against Football League opposition.

Striker Robinson, who has been linked with a string of rival clubs since finishing last season with 16 goals to his name, is in line to figure as Clark explained: “We’ve had no contact with Leicester.

“I don’t know where these rumours are coming from but I do know that we haven’t had any conversations with any other clubs about Theo.”

Burly frontman Howard, a Town target during last January’s transfer window, is on tour with Leicester in Slovenia.

Clark, who watched a young team lose 1-0 at Frickley Athletic last night, is looking forward to the Bury trip.

“No disrespect to the sides we’ve played so far, because they’ve given us exactly what we wanted in terms of build-up tests, but Bury is a step up. The momentum is building as we get closer to Notts County (the League I opener is at Meadow Lane three weeks tomorrow) and the players are working well.

“It’s more about fitness and systems in pre-season, but you want to win every game you play in and that will be the case over at Bury.”

Town are set for a quick reunion with former left-back Joe Skarz tomorrow, and Bury boss Alan Knill will field other new arrivals Peter Sweeney, Steve Schumacher and Andy Haworth.

Midfielders Sweeney and Schumacher, the ex-Bradford player, have joined from Grimsby and Crewe respectively, while winger Haworth has switched from Blackburn.

The League II side suffered a 3-0 home defeat by Burnley in their only first-team friendly so far.

Meanwhile 19-year-old centre-back Leigh Franks, who recently signed a new one-year Town deal, is on trial with League II Oxford, who signed goalkeeper Simon Eastwood from Town last month.