FOR caretaker manager Steve Kember tomorrow's clash with the Clarets will be Crystal Palace's last under his charge.

Kember has been in the hotseat since Steve Bruce walked out of Selhurst Park and straight into a legal battle preventing him from taking over at Birmingham City.

Trevor Francis, sacked to create the vacancy at St Andrews, was this morning confirmed as the man to take over the reins at Palace.

None of that will be of any great concern to Stan Ternent and his players as he prepares his squad for a tough test against a side that has won eight out of ten home games this season.

That said the high-flying Eagles have had their wings clipped by a run of three successive away defeats, the latest coming at Highfield Road on Wednesday night.

Midfielder David Hopkin, just back from injury, and in-form striker Clinton Morrison both limped out of the game with an ankle injury and groin strain respectively.

Hopkin is definitely out on Saturday, a possibly for a whole month, while Morrison has a fitness test today.

Free-scoring Palace failed to find the net against the Clarets and certainly missed Morrison's partner in goals Dougie Freedman. If the pair are again split tomorrow it will be a big boost for Ternent's men.

Jovan Kirovski was pushed forward into a striking role but his attacking threat from midfield was missed.

While Morrison's injury is a worry, Kember also has problems in defence where he is definitely without Australian international Tony Popovic who was injured while away on World Cup duty.

Jamie Smith is available for the right wing-back position again after an ankle operation.