STEVE Blatherwick joined the Clarets casualty list leaving Chris Waddle grappling with a fresh Turf Moor injury crisis.

The giant defender missed the derby match with a cartilage injury which could rule Blatherwick out for a month.

Blatherwick enters hospital for a scan tomorrow and the injury could mean surgery for the influential stopper.

Waddle confirmed: "It all depends what the scan reveals but it appears that we could be without Steve for at least three weeks.

"If he has to have surgery then it will probably be keyhole."

Blatherwick joins Lee Howey, Mark Ford, Michael Williams, Nigel Gleghorn and Gerry Harrison on the treatment table.

The unlucky Harrison - recalled to the side for the first time this season on Saturday - will definitely be out of action for a month after pulling a hamstring in the first half.

Waddle had not intended to be on the substitute's bench but was forced to change his plans at the last minute when Richard Huxford pulled out.

The defender was pencilled in for the right-back role but had to sit out the action with a migraine and double vision.

"We are struggling for fit players and goodness knows what sort of team we will be able to field at Stoke on Wednesday.

"Mark Ford is another major doubt. He took a very heavy tackle which broke his shin pad.

"Mark took a very heavy whack on the leg, but to be fair to the lad he didn't want to come off. I certainly didn't want to make it worse so I hauled him off.

"It is very unlikely that any of the injured players will feature on Wednesday." Waddle also switched to a 4-4-2 formation, deploying a flat back four for the first time this season and scrapping the 3-5-2 formation.

Defending his decision, he said: "That helped us a bit but football is all about players, not systems.

"Some people use systems as an excuse.

"If you've got players working hard and believing in themselves then it doesn't matter what shape you play."

Waddle saw David Eyres squander a penalty a minute before half-time after Burnley were controversially awarded a spot kick after Michael Jackson's foul on Mark Ford.

He added: "I didn't watch it - I turned my back on it and watched it on the television afterwards.

"David was brave enough to go and take it right in front of the Preston fans.

"These things happen in football - and now David has joined my penalty club!"

Preston manager Gary Peters was furious.

He rapped: "It was never a penalty. In fact I thought the lad (Ford) should have been booked for diving."

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