news that he was about to join English Second Division team Fulham on a month's loan.

A report on the Soccernet service stated that Lightbourne would move to Kevin Keegan's London club for a loan period. But when contacted yesterday by The Royal Gazette , Lightbourne said he had heard nothing from his Coventry City manager, Gordon Strachan.

"That's the first I've heard about it,'' said Lightbourne who is due to travel to London today with the Coventry team for their match on Saturday against Chelsea.

Lightbourne, who joined Coventry on a four-year contract just last summer, has been unable to command a starting spot in the team. And his chances appear even slimmer now that the struggling Premiership club have signed Romanian striker Viorel Moldovan for 3.25 million. This week Strachan said that striker Dion Dublin was being offered a new, improved contract.

Lightbourne did admit that with limited playing opportunities he would not totally rule out joining the right club on loan, especially as he has had few first team chances this season.

"If it's a loan deal then it's worthwhile going because I would be playing regular football and you get yourself in the window,'' said Lightbourne, who pointed out that Fulham were a progressive club.

"They have brought in players from Premiership clubs and spent a million pounds,'' he added.

Former Newcastle manager Keegan took over at Fulham earlier this season and has been given millions to spend on new players by chairman Mohammed Al Fayed, the father of Dodi Al Fayed who was killed in a car crash in France along with Princess Diana last summer. El Fayed owns the London department store Harrods.

Fulham are run by former England captains Keegan, who is the chief operating officer, and manager Ray Wilkins. They have spent heavily in a bid to lift the west London club back into the top flight.

They broke the club transfer record last October with the 1.2 million signing of Canadian striker Paul Peschisolido from West Bromwich Albion. Fulham are presently sixth in the Second Division table, 15 points behind Shawn Goater's Bristol City in second place. It was Fulham who ended Bristol City's 15-game unbeaten league run recently with a 1-0 win.