Preston are likely to be without midfielder Alan Browne for their Championship clash with Cardiff City on Sunday.

Browne was called-up to the Republic of Ireland for their recent internationals, and featured in their penalty shoot-out heartache against Slovakia last Wednesday in their Euro 2020 play-off.

However, after coming in close contact with one is Ireland team-mates who returned a positive COVID-19 test, the North End Man was forced to miss their Nations League matches against Wales on Sunday and Finland on Wednesday.

In better news, Browne returned a negative Coronavirus test, although under rules and regulations, the 25-year-old still has to isolate for 10 days, meaning he'll almost certainly miss Sunday's game and even the midweek trip to QPR.

Preston boss Alex Neil told Lancashire News: “I presume at the moment that Alan won’t be available but I’m not quite sure. We need to take medical advice although we’ve already had some discussions with the doctor.

"Alan’s test had come back negative and he’s showing no signs whatsoever."

However, Neil was able to provide a positive update on the fitness of Daniel Johnson, whose yet to feature in the league this term due to an ongoing muscle problem.

"DJ to be fair was making good progress just before the international break," the Lilywhites boss said.

"But he’d only trained once or twice with us before the Brentford game which wasn’t quite enough. He trained with us on Tuesday this week and hopefully will do for the remainder of the week."

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The Verdict

Losing Browne is a major blow for Neil, who would've wanted to stick with the side that started their impressive comeback against Brentford prior to the international break.

However, when one door closes, another opens, and the return of Daniel Johnson will be a massive boost for Preston at a time when they'll be looking to build off that Bees victory earlier this month.