Preston North End host leaders, Middlesbrough in a Championship clash at Deepdale.
Victory could put Preston as high as second if Leicester fail to win at Oxford United before the mid-afternoon action, whilst Boro will stay top with victory.
Team News
Milutin Osmajic is a doubt for Preston after he missed their defeat at Portsmouth with a rib injury, which subsequently forced him to withdraw from international duty for Montenegro.
Alfie Devine (knock) is set to return but Jordan Thompson (ankle), Brad Potts (hamstring), Robbie Brady and Will Keane (both calf) remain absent.
Deadline day loan signing, Harrison Armstrong could make his club debut.
Middlesbrough could hand deadline day signings, Jon McLaughlin and David Strelec their matchday squad debuts, alongside loanee – Alan Browne.
Seny Dieng (Achilles), Alex Bangura (hamstring) and Riley McGree (muscle) remain ruled out.
When is Kick-Off?
Preston host Middlesbrough at Deepdale on Saturday 13 September at 12:30pm BST, live on Sky Sports + Red Button in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Preston have avoided defeat in three of their last five meetings against Middlesbrough (W2, D1, L2).
- Middlesbrough have lost each of their last five visits to Preston (L5), during which they scored four goals and conceded 13 goals.
- Preston have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight home games against Middlesbrough in the Championship (W5, D1, L2), which came in a 3-0 win in December 2020.
- Osmajic has scored in each of Preston’s two league games at home so far this season (W2).
- Tommy Conway has scored in Middlesbrough’s last two matches (W2).
Prediction
Their wasteful performance at Portsmouth without Osmajic has to be of slight concern for Preston because they were more dominant in attack yet lacked the clinical touch that Portsmouth had, but they’ve been strong at home which is a positive especially given their recent home form against Boro.
Middlesbrough meanwhile have enjoyed their best start to a season in a while and dominated Sheffield Utd with a marginally clinical edge, but this is a tough test of their early-season promotion credentials given that Deepdale has recently been a bogey ground for them.
Nevertheless both teams should produce a top fight especially if Osmajic is available for Preston, which makes me lean towards a draw which would be a decent point for Boro at Deepdale.
Prediction: Preston 1-1 Middlesbrough
Result: Preston 2-2 Middlesbrough
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