Preston North End could be able to call upon the services of Andrew Hughes for tonight's Carabao Cup showdown with Hull City at Deepdale, according to the club's official website.

The 27-year-old has missed four games in succession after suffering a hamstring injury in the Lilywhites' 3-0 victory over Wigan Athletic earlier this month.

In his absence, Preston have experienced somewhat of an upturn in form and head into the clash with Hull in fine spirits having secured back-to-back wins in the Championship over Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday.

Although the Lilywhites will be prioritising the second-tier over the cup competitions this season, manager Alex Neil will nevertheless want his side to continue to build momentum by defeating the Tigers tonight.

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Speaking to the club's website ahead of the Hull fixture, Neil said: "The lads are in good spirits, they are confident and we have another set of lads who will be hungry to play, who did well at Bradford and I am sure a lot of them will be looking for an opportunity."

Having made it to the third-round of the Carabao Cup last season, Preston could set up the prospect of mouth-watering ties against the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool by repeating this particular feat tonight.

The Verdict

If Hughes does indeed make his return to action for Preston against Hull, it will be intriguing to see how he fares after several weeks out.

A key player for the Lilywhites during the previous campaign, the defender made 32 league appearances for the club as he helped them secure a 14th place finish in the Championship.

Given that Joe Rafferty has impressed in Hughes' preferred role of left-back in Preston's recent clashes, the former Peterborough United man will unquestionably be aiming to produce an eye-catching performance at Deepdale for Neil's side.