BURNLEY chairman Barry Kilby is anticipating using the loan market as the transfer window opens today.

The Clarets chief, who this week celebrated his 10th anniversary presiding over the club, warned shareholders at last month’s Annual General Meeting that he couldn’t promise new signings in the New Year.

Manager Owen Coyle is aiming to ease the situation by offloading two or three fringe players to free up funds and be in a better position to strengthen.

But while permanent additions look unlikely under the current budget if those players don’t move on, Kilby admitted loan signings could be the only way for the Clarets to add to their promotion-chasing squad.

That proved to be the case 12 months ago, when Stanislav Varga and Andrew Cole made the temporary switch from Sunderland, and young midfielder Mark Randall arrived from Arsenal on a deal until the end of the season following Burnley’s FA Cup third round meeting with the Gunners at Turf Moor.

“You've got the loan player market and we’ve got some good links,” said Kilby.

“Owen got Mark from Arsenal last season and that was through Liam Brady (Arsenal’s head of youth development).

“They all work their connections. I think every club does.”

But Kilby warned of the pitfalls of taking on players employed by other clubs.

“You can bring a player in if you're really down in a position and he goes straight in,” he said.

“But what you can’t do is get a loan player as cover, so it's not that simple.”

Burnley have been linked with Celtic’s central defender Darren O’Dea, who has struggled for starts in his favoured position due to the form of Gary Caldwell, brother of Clarets’ captain Steven, and Stephen McManus.

However, he has recently been used at left back, and manager Gordon Strachan is keen to keep all of his squad together as Celtic push for a fourth straight SPL title.

Kilby added: “Things are tight. Let’s see.

“I can’t promise anything (in the window) and I’m not going to.”