Millwall host Preston North End at The Den this evening, with both sides looking to keep their hopes of a late Championship play-off push alive. 

Both clubs sit nine points back from the top six at the moment, with Gary Rowett's team above Alex Neil's side on goal difference.

Football League World will be live from south London this evening to deliver live coverage of the clash. In the meantime, check out our preview below...

Story so far

The hosts' long unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday as fellow top-six hopefuls Barnsley beat them 2-1 at Oakwell.

Even so, Rowett's men have been in impressive form since the turn of the year, though they remain plagued by a lack of goals.

No side in the top half of the Championship have scored fewer than the Lions' 32 and they've been outgunned by plenty of the teams below them.

That issue has seen Rowett's men unable to finish games off and meant they've dealt in draws for much of the 2020/21 campaign, sharing the points on 16 occasions – by far the most in the division.

Their visitors tonight have fared completely differently this term, drawing just four times and losing 16 games but claiming all three points with much more regularity.

Inconsistency has been the issue plaguing Neil's side, who have struggled to put any real unbeaten or winning runs together.

That said, they've taken seven points from their last two games and picked up a comprehensive 3-0 win against Huddersfield Town on the weekend.

Neither team look the finished article but that certainly doesn't rule them out of the play-off race just yet.

Both managers will likely be reminding their sides that every year someone makes a late burst up the table and with 13 games still left of the season, they've got time to do just that.

Team news

Both managers are hamstrung by injury issues ahead of tonight's game.

Ryan Leonard, Murray Wallace, Kenneth Zohore, Maikel Kieftenbeld, Connor Mahoney, and Jake Cooper will all be absent from the game as they recover from injury, though there has been a suggestion that Cooper could be back "sooner rather than later".

Preston will be without Louis Moult, Patrick Bauer, and Declan Rudd due to injury, while Neil has also indicated that three further players are "touch and go" ahead of the game.

There may be a familiar face in the opposition side for Millwall fans as 2019/20 loan signing Jayson Molumby is currently with the Deepdale outfit on a temporary deal and could feature tonight.

Previous meetings

Millwall have won the last three meetings between the two sides, including their 2-0 victory against Preston at Deepdale in October.

Zohore scored his first goal for the south London club in that game but will be unable to add to his talent tonight due to injury.

Jed Wallace added Millwall's second from the penalty spot and looks likely to be Rowett's key attacking weapon this evening.