Burton Albion defender Damien McCrory has joined League One side Portsmouth on loan until January.

The 27-year-old - the longest-serving player in Albion's current squad after joining in June 2012 - is heading to Fratton Park after featuring five times so far this term for the Brewers , including three times in the Championship.

McCrory has more than 150 league appearances under his belt for Burton, having played a crucial role in the club's back-to-back promotions from League Two to the Championship after two near misses in the fourth-tier play-offs.

He appeared 18 times last term as Albion upset the odds to survive in the Championship, but was largely used as a substitute, with Tom Flanagan and John Brayford - both now back at the club - the first-choice full-backs for much of the campaign.

Damien McCrory is felled by Ryan McLaughlin as Burton Albion win a late penalty at Oldham

Stephen Warnock - out injured for much of the campaign so far - is also likely to offer a strong option at left-back following the current international break.

And that was part of Nigel Clough 's thinking in sending McCrory out loan to third-tier Pompey.

"With Stephen Warnock hopefully coming back after the international break and with other options available for us we didn’t want to stand in the way of Damien being able to go to a big club like Portsmouth and getting regular football", said Clough.

"It’s a good opportunity for him."

McCrory is under contract for the rest of the 2017/18 campaign at the Pirelli after signing a new two-year deal back in the summer of 2016.