Burnley manager Sean Dyche has claimed that the club's success so far this season led to a lack of loan signings before the deadline.
The Championship leaders failed to add to their squad prior to the loan window closing on Thursday.
"It's been a tough one for us, we've had a few challenges," the Lancashire Telegraph quotes Dyche as saying.
"The obvious one is being at the top of the league. Let's just say some clubs are not as forthcoming in lending you players because they don't want us to strengthen, which I understand.
"They think we're realistic in what we're doing whereas earlier in the season they might have thought 'good old Burnley having a go, doing all right', now we're 16 games in and we're still doing it so maybe that's changed the outlook for other teams."
Burnley travel to Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
