A MEDICAL will decide whether Robbie Blake becomes a Burnley player but boss Stan Ternent sees no problems.

With a four-year contract in the offing and a £1million fee, plus a £250,000 pay-on negotiated if the Clarets step up to the Premiership with Blake, Ternent is confident he will finally get his man by this weekend.

"We have agreed a fee, we are close to agreement with Robbie's representatives and, while things are still on-going, I am very optimistic that he will be joining us," said Ternent.

"He is carrying an injury at the moment, but it is a stomach muscle strain and nothing serious.

"He's a player I want to sign and, subject to a medical, he will be with us for the rest of this season and four more."

The 25-year-old has a proven scoring record with both his first club Darlington and the Bradford, who paid £300,000 to take him to Valley Parade in 1997.

Blake has bagged 12 goals this term for the Bantams and Ternent was confident that form would continue at Turf Moor.

"Robbie will strengthen our squad big style," enthused Ternent.

"He is different to what we have got, he is good with his back to goal and he is confident on the ball.

"He scores some goals and he just gives us another option."

For Ternent it signals the end of a quest that a a longer history than either Stan's term at Turf Moor or Blake's spell at the Valley Parade.

"To be honest he is a player I was looking at when he was at Darlington and I was managing Bury," said Ternent.

" Now he has experience and it will mean that we will have a stronger squad of players -- I think he will do fine here."

If the signing is sealed Blake may have to wait for a debut due to his stomach injury, but Ternent goes into tomorrow's home clash with Sheffield Wednesday boosted by Welsh international striker Gareth Taylor's return to the ranks after injury.

One player who will not be featuring for the Clarets in the future is defender Sergei Kandaurov.

The Ukrainian international featured in the reserve side in Wednesday's 7-1 Avon Insurance League Premier Division defeat at the Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground.

"Sergei is not going to be up to it for us," said Ternent.

"He has done okay while he has been here but he just not what we are looking for."