Preston North End plays Championship football at the Riverside against Middlesbrough during the midweek.
Teesside’s 12th team takes on the 6th, and both aim to recover from their previous losses. At Deepdale, PNE had a 1-0 lead over Cardiff City in the 95th minute, but nine more minutes saw two more goals conceded. Meanwhile, Liam Manning secured his first victory as Bristol City manager as Boro were defeated 3-2.
Given that this is a three-game week, Michael Carrick and Ryan Lowe might be inclined to rotate players on their teams. Following their injuries last time out, North End welcomed back Andrew Hughes, Jack Whatmough, and Calvin Ramsay. However, a number of players will continue to be unavailable. This is a summary of this one’s treatment table.
1. Ali McCann, out
The midfielder isn’t expected back for this one, though not too far away. He has missed around six weeks with a calf injury, but Ryan Lowe expects to have him back either this weekend or next.
2. Lukas Engel, out
Michael Carrick has confirmed that the full-back will miss Tuesday’s game. The full-back was taken off in the second half of Saturday’s defeat with an ankle injury. A start for summer signing Alex Bangura should be handed out in his absence.
3. Greg Cunningham, out
Cunningham went off injured at Hull City in late October with a hamstring strain. He’s been absent ever since but, like McCann, is said to be closing in on a return in the next week or so.
4. Darragh Lenihan, out
The former Blackburn Rovers man is expected to miss the rest of the season with an Achilles injury he suffered earlier this month.
5. Ben Woodburn: doubt
I did not report for Saturday’s game due to illness. Unlike Mads Frokjaer, who made the bench despite going home sick on Friday, Woodburn was unable to be involved. It’s a pretty quick turnaround, though the midfielder could be back in contention.
6. Riley McGree, out
The Australian international has not featured since October and is said to still be a few weeks away due to a problem in the bottom of his foot.
7. Emil Riis, out
The Dane is expected back around Christmas, having been out since early January with a serious knee injury. He is said to be in good spirits and feeling strong, having had a clear-out in the last few weeks to fix an issue. Photo: CameraSport, Dave Howarth
8. Marcus Forss, out
In a similar boat to McGree time-wise. The ex-Brentford striker has been sidelined with a thigh injury since last month.
9. Tommy Smith, out
The experienced defender is also a doubt for the rest of the season. Like Lenihan, he suffered a serious Achilles injury towards the end of last month.
Leave a Reply