Clarets keeper Nik Michopoulos made his debut for Crystal Palace yesterday in a 2-2 draw against Gilingham at Selhurst Park.

But Burnley boss Stan Ternent explained: "We have got him on an immediate so if we need him back, he will come straight back."

Michopoulos has lost his place in the Burnley goal since Marlon Beresford returned to Turf Moor a month ago.

The former Boro keeper signed on a month long deal before the first win of the season against Derby County and kept his first clean sheet in the League at the weekend in the 1-0 defeat of Wimbledon.

Once again the cash crisis gripping the Clarets was partly behind the Greek keeper's move as Ternent explained: "The most important thing is that we save few quid but almost equally important is the fact that Nik needs to play first team football.

"We have no reserve matches for the next three weeks and he can't get much match practice in those anyway. This is a good opportunity to go down there and play at first division level.

"They have got two keepers injured, Matt Clarke and Alex Kolinko so Trevor Francis rang me up and I was able to help."

Not for the first time Ternent played without a keeper on the bench on Saturday and he said: "We are used to doing that. If things get desperate I'll put Ronnie Jepson in, he's so big they'll not score past him."

Ironically Michopoulos's last game for the Clarets was when he kept a clean sheet against Palace at Turf Moor at the end of August in the match that saw Clarke go off injured.