Preston North End boss Alex Neil has said the club 'knows where they are' regarding the contracts of Paul Gallagher and Tom Clarke.

Neil's side will today line-up against Luton Town in the Championship. It marks the return of EFL action after a three month hiatus, and Preston will be looking to cement their place in the top-six when they face Nathan Jones' side.

One of the talking points at Preston over the course of the break in sports has been the contract situations of both Gallagher and Clarke - the pair are two of Preston's longest serving players with over 500 first-team appearances between them.

Discussions have been ongoing, but speaking to Lancashire Live in his pre-match press conference, Neil gave a vague response on the pair's situation at the club:

"We've had discussions with the players we've currently got. They know and understand the situation they find themselves in at the moment.

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"Everything's been really transparent, I wouldn't ever divulge into the discussion that I've had with any individual player because that's their business and the club's too. But yeah, we know where we are."

Club captain Clarke has struggled with injury this season, having made just ten appearances in the Championship throughout. Gallagher meanwhile has enjoyed another prolific season with the club, with six Championship goals to match his tally from last season.

But with both players ageing - Clarke 32 and Gallagher 35 - it seems as though Neil is reconsidering their stays at Preston with promotion to the Premier League in sight.

The verdict

Both players have been great servants to the club, and fans would no doubt like to see both stay on. But with the state of football and the inevitable financial repercussions that all teams will find themselves in, Neil may well have to let the pair go, and find suitable replacements in the summer.