THREE points at Crystal Palace will send Burnley back to the top of the first division - but they will have to do it without top scorer Gareth Taylor.

The former Palace player is suspended for the return to one of his old clubs and that leaves manager Stan Ternent with a selection dilemma.

Taylor and Ian Moore have been strike partners in all but two of the Clarets league games this season but, encouragingly, the Clarets did win the matches they were apart.

Burnley scored three times against both Bradford City and Rotherham with Ternent opting to start with a 4-5-1 formation.

Taylor has been a key factor in the good form shown in November, scoring four goals as his side recorded four wins and a draw.

But at least Irish international winger Alan Moore has been involved in the last couple of matches as a late substitute and he could be in line for a first start since the match at Norwich City more than two months ago.

Another player who is available again is left back Lee Briscoe, having served a one match ban against Grimsby Town last Friday night.

Graham Branch performed well in that role in Briscoe's absence but both players are capable of filling a midfield role if required.

Branch was actually the goal hero in a centre forward role when they won at Palace last season.

"Gareth is suspended but I have got Graham Branch who can play up there," said Ternent. "I've also got Andy Payton, Dimitri Papadopoulos and Tony Ellis so we have got a reasonable squad."

A first start of the season for Andy Payton alongside Ian Moore in attack looks unlikely. His role has been restricted to that of sub so far this term and it would be a surprise if Ternent was to play him from the kick-off at Selhurst Park.

In contrast to Taylor, Moore is in desperate need of a goal. He has not found the net since a personal hot streak of three in three 13 games ago.

But he has never stopped trying in that barren spell and Saturday would be a great time to start scoring again.

One man who will not be involved tomorrow is skipper Steve Davis. Ternent admitted: "He will not be there for Saturday. We knew that he would be looking at four to six weeks and we just have to let the injury run its course.

"But both he and Mitchell Thomas will be close to being fit within a week. The last thing we want is to push on and find that we are back at base camp.

"But with Steve being out of the back four we have found out about people who have come in and done really well."

The Clarets are boosted by the fact they won their last away game impressively, 2-0 at Coventry City, and Ternent is pleased with their record on the road.

"We have won five, drawn one and lost four and that is reasonable," he said. "It is a tough league, a hard league, but we are looking forward to every game that comes along."

Ternent knows that with Wolves not playing until Sunday his side can return to the top of the table by winning at Palace and he repeated that his players can cope with the increased expectation that comes with doing well.

"When you are at the top there is added pressure," he said. "pressure goes with being successful but we have to learn to cope with it."

The players have been coping superbly so far but tomorrow is another big test of their character.

But if they can storm the Palace and take all three points they can enjoy the "pressure" of looking at the name of Burnley at the top of the table in the Sunday papers.