CHESTERFIELD are keen to sign Burnley defender Steve Blatherwick on a permanent basis if he impresses during a loan spell at Saltergate.

Blatherwick joined the Spireites last week and was on the bench for their 1-1 draw at Maine Road on Saturday.

The central defender was due to play for the reserves at Darlington today and could make his full debut against Wrexham this weekend.

The ball will then be in his court in his bid to get his career back on track with the Second Division side after Burnley boss Stan Ternent made it clear the player is surplus to requirements at Turf Moor.

Chesterfield manager John Duncan has confirmed that Blatherwick is a transfer target after losing Darren Carr to Gillingham in the summer and having Mark Williams currently sidelined through injury.

"There's a slot there for a central defender and if he fits in and does well he will be there for the job," said Duncan who insisted he is looking long-term and not short-term at the deal.

If Blatherwick does enough to convince Duncan he is the man for that job then it will just be a case of Chesterfield meeting Burnley's asking price for the 25-year-old who cost £150,000 last summer but whose stock has fallen since. Ternent also faces a defensive poser for Saturday's visit of Wigan Athletic who went out of the Worthington Cup to First Division Norwich City last night.

Peter Swan will need to be replaced as he starts a three-match ban but Brian Reid should be available having returned home this week for the birth of his first son.

On the injury front there is brighter news for a couple of the long-term absentees with Mark Ford, who is out of plaster after breaking his ankle on the first day of the season, joining Steve Morgan in training with the physiotherapist.

And top-scorer Andy Payton is expected to be fit to face Wigan after a bout of illness.

Payton made it three goals in three games and six for the season when he scored at Gillingham on Saturday with another opportunist effort.

"He will always do that, he will always score goals," said Ternent who is no stranger to the striker's instincts after managing Payton when he was banging in the goals for Hull City.

Payton is still averaging better than a goal every other game since joining the Clarets in January, having scored 18 times in 34 appearances.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.