Preston North End welcome Sheffield United to Deepdale for a huge Sky Bet Championship clash, which could have various implications in the promotion race.
Preston are currently three points off a play-off spot and victory here is crucial to keeping pace with those just ahead of them.
The same can be said for Sheffield United who need the win to realistically keep their automatic promotion hopes alive, as they battle Leeds for that all important second place behind league leaders – Norwich.
Team news
Embed from Getty ImagesPreston are without first team regulars – Tom Barkhuizen and Andrew Hughes due to respective knee and hamstring injuries, keeping them out for rest of this season.
Billy Bodin and Josh Harrop are also absent with knee injuries as Manchester City’s Brandon Barker looks set to see his loan spell cut short with a hamstring injury.
Alan Browne (ankle) and Brad Potts (knee) however are set to return as Tom Clarke (knee) and Ben Pearson (hamstring) face late fitness tests.
Mark Duffy is a major doubt for Sheffield United after suffering an Achilles injury during training, which kept him out of last weekend’s home game against Bristol City.
Jack O’Connell is available despite limping out of that game with a calf issue as striker, Gary Madine serves the last of a three match ban.
Form
Preston’s 12 game unbeaten run came to a shuddering halt last weekend with defeat away at Reading, although they have yet to taste a league defeat at home in 2019 with four draws and two wins.
Sheffield United’s ten match unbeaten run was ended last time out by a spirited Bristol City, but the Blades are still unbeaten in their last five away games with two wins and three draws.
Stat Attack
- Preston have avoided defeat in four of their last six meetings with Sheffield United across all competitions (W3, D1, L2).
- Three of last four meetings have been won by a single goal with Preston winning two of those such results.
- Sheffield United’s last seven goals have all come from different goalscorers.
Prediction
After defeat last time out, this is a crucial game for both teams so I am expecting a close game between two in form sides.
This therefore is a tough one to predict given the quality of both teams but Preston’s injury crisis is concerning, and a Blades win here would be the likely result but by a fourth single goal margin in last five clashes.
Prediction: Preston North End 0-1 Sheffield United
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