Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe has admitted that whilst Sean Maguire will be unavailable for Saturday's clash with Luton Town, Alvaro Fernandez could potentially be available for the trip to Kenilworth Road.
Lowe has also revealed that this weekend's game might come too soon for Bambo Diaby who is currently recovering from an issue with his knee.
Diaby signed a new two-year deal with Preston earlier this year which will keep him at Deepdale until 2024.
Fernandez, who was drafted in on a loan deal by the Lilywhites from Manchester United in July, suffered an ankle injury during the club's League Cup clash with Huddersfield Town.
The Lilywhites secured an impressive 4-1 victory over the Terriers on Tuesday and are set to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the second round of this competition later this month.
As for Maguire, the forward has yet to make an appearance for Preston this season.
Ahead of this weekend's showdown with the Hatters, Lowe has opted to share an update on Fernandez, Maguire and Diaby.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference for this fixture (as cited by Preston's official Twitter account) about Fernandez, Lowe said: "He’s fine, he’s champing at the bit to get out on the grass but he’s with the physios today, we’ll give him every chance to be available for Saturday.
"He’s walking around on it with no strappings so it’s not as bad as people may have first feared."
Making reference to Maguire and Diaby, Lowe added: "Sean Maguire is still unavailable, Saturday might come too soon for Bambo but he will definitely be ready for next week."
The Verdict
Whereas Preston would have been hoping to call upon Maguire in their opening fixtures of the season, they will be boosted by the fact that Fernandez has avoided a serious injury setback.
A stand-out performer in their recent victory over Huddersfield, the 19-year-old defender managed to provide two assists in this clash as he recorded a WhoScored match rating of 7.66.
Utilised as a substitute in the two Championship games that Preston have played this season, Fernandez will be hoping to be fit enough to feature against Luton.
As for Diaby, he could potentially make his return to action in the Lilywhites' clash with Rotherham United on Tuesday if he continues to make progress in his road to recovery.