Preston North End vs Blackburn Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

Preston North End volition beryllium hopeless to assertion their archetypal points of the play successful Saturday’s derby clash against Blackburn Rovers astatine Deepdale.

Paul Heckingbottom’s broadside are presently propping up the Championship table, portion Rovers are successful 13th presumption successful the standings.

Match preview

Preston are the lone Championship broadside yet to prime up a constituent this play aft starting the run with 4 consecutive league defeats.

The astir caller of those losses took spot successful Tuesday’s location clash against Bristol City, which saw Caleb Wiley people his archetypal Preston extremity successful a 3-1 defeat.

Heckingbottom volition beryllium acrophobic by the information his squad person shipped 9 goals successful the aboriginal stages of the season, with lone Burnley letting successful much crossed the opening 4 matchdays.

In fact, they person conceded astatine slightest 3 goals successful each of their past 3 location matches, including 4 without reply successful past month’s EFL Cup decision to Everton.

Their hopes of triumph successful Saturday's derby clash volition beryllium tempered by their nonaccomplishment to triumph immoderate of their past 5 meetings with Blackburn since signaling a 2-1 distant triumph successful November 2023.

In fact, they person not beaten Blackburn astatine Deepdale since enjoying a tally of 3 consecutive location wins from December 2016 to October 2019. 

Blackburn made an awesome commencement to the season, signaling 2 wins and 1 gully successful their archetypal 3 competitory games.

After beating Burton Albion, Rovers started the Championship run with an entertaining gully against Wolverhampton Wanderers and a 2-1 triumph implicit Middlesbrough.

However, they person since experienced a drop-off with a three-game winless run, which started with a 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Sheffield United successful the 2nd circular of the EFL Cup.

Another 2-1 decision followed successful their location league clash with Queens Park Rangers earlier they played retired a goalless matter successful Tuesday's distant gathering with newly-promoted Lincoln City.

A clash against their Lancashire rivals could supply a aureate accidental for Blackburn to instrumentality to winning ways, considering they person won each of their erstwhile 3 matches against Preston.

Last season's league treble implicit PNE included a 2-1 triumph astatine Deepdale, which came courtesy of Andri Gudjohnsen's second-half winner. 

Preston North End Championship form:

Preston North End signifier (all competitions):

Blackburn Rovers Championship form:

Blackburn Rovers signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Preston are incapable to telephone upon the midfield duo of Ali McCann and Brad Potts owed to hamstring and ankle injuries respectively.

Johnny Kenny and Liam Gibbs could diagnostic successful the matchday squad aft arriving connected imperishable and indebtedness deals from Celtic and Norwich City respectively.

Wiley volition proceed to run arsenic the near wing-back aft marking his archetypal Preston commencement with a extremity successful the decision to Bristol City.

Blackburn are contending with a important wounded list, which features Harry Pickering, Scott Wharton, Hayden Carter, Lewis Miller, Moussa Baradji, Augustus Kargbo and Yuki Ohashi.

Balazs Toth remains a uncertainty for the play aft missing the midweek gully against Lincoln with a thigh problem.

Atcheson volition service a one-match prohibition pursuing his dismissal for 2 bookable offences successful the goalless gully astatine Sincil Bank. 

Preston North End imaginable starting lineup:

Iversen; Clarke, Lindsay, Gibson; Mills, Leroy, Thompson, Wiley; Devine, Burgzorg; Erabi

Blackburn Rovers imaginable starting lineup:

Pears; Alebiosu, Garrett, McLoughlin, Ribeiro; Morsy, Montgomery, Morishita, Cantwell, Afolayan; Gudjohnsen

We say: Preston North End 1-2 Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn person won each of the past 3 head-to-head meetings, and with Preston yet to get connected the committee this season, we deliberation the visitors volition bask much occurrence successful Saturday's Lancashire derby.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.