For the first time in over a month, Preston North End will take to the pitch on home soil as they welcome Birmingham City to Deepdale on Saturday afternoon.

A spate of matches called off over the Christmas period due to COVID-19 meant that the Lilywhites could not host Sheffield United on Boxing Day, with their previous two games being away from home against Stoke City and Cardiff City.

Ryan Lowe suffered his first loss as North End boss last weekend when the Bluebirds won 2-1 in the third round of the FA Cup, but it means that he can now focus on league action and first up is a visit from Lee Bowyer's side.

 

 

 

 

Who will be in Lowe's line-up though? Let's take a look.

There's no great shake-up here as it's the exact same team that came out on top against Stoke City just under two weeks ago.

Lowe did give a few other players a chance from the start against Cardiff but the likes of Ali McCann, Ryan Ledson and Sean Maguire didn't do much to warrant coming back in for league action.

At the moment the back three and goalkeeper picks itself and so do the wing-back slots, with Brad Potts now converted into a right-sided wing-back.

Lowe has spoken of his desire to bring in a 'speedy' left-sided player though but for now Josh Earl will stay in that position with Greg Cunningham perhaps now seen as a centre-back.

As mentioned, Ledson and McCann didn't do enough against Cardiff to warrant breaking into the midfield for this match so the trio of Ben Whiteman, Daniel Johnson and Alan Browne should remain in place.

The biggest dilemma could be at the top end of the pitch, where no-one has really taken a match by the scruff of the neck yet under Lowe.

Emil Riis has been PNE's talisman this season but he's yet to shine yet under his new boss but he's worth sticking with - it's just a case of who joins him.

With Maguire not impressing last weekend though and Scott Sinclair doing nothing in his cameo, Ched Evans will more-than likely get the nod once again.