Preston North End

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A rejuvenated Derby County are looking for a fourth consecutive Championship win on Wednesday, which could lift them out of the relegation zone.

Preston North End are 10 points outside the play-off spots but have a game in hand on all the teams above them and could still sneak into the top six with a near perfect run-in to the end of the season.

• Derby have only lost one of their previous 14 home league games against Preston North End (W8 D5), a 1-0 reverse in December 2020 under Wayne Rooney.

• Preston have lost just one of their past six games against Derby County in all competitions (W3 D2), although that was their last away game against the Rams, a 1-0 defeat in the Championship in April 2022.

• Derby have won each of their previous three games in the Championship, as many as their previous 26 beforehand (W3 D8 L15); the Rams last won four successive matches in the competition in July 2020 (five in a row).

• After their 2-1 win over Portsmouth, Preston are looking to win back-to-back Championship games for only the third time this season, after doing so in December (v Hull & Sheffield Wednesday) and January (v Watford & Middlesbrough).

• Marcus Harness has three goals and an assist in Derby's last two league games, this after only previously scoring once and assisting once in his first 31 appearances in the Championship for the Rams.

Image source, Rex Features

Preston North End goalkeeper Freddie Woodman is set to miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury sustained in the gym over the international break.

The stopper missed only his second game of the season in the FA Cup loss to Aston Villa on Sunday, with reserve keeper David Cornell stepping in.

"Longer term, we miss him [Woodman] now for the season but now it's Dai's [Cornell's] turn to step up," boss Paul Heckingbottom told, external BBC Radio Lancashire.

"He's been training hard, he always does, supports Freddie really, really well and now we get a great look at Dai between now until the end of the season."

Woodman joins defender Jack Whatmough, midfielder Ali McCann and right-back Brad Potts in the recovery room.

Preston, 14th in the Championship table, are currently 10 points adrift of the play-off places and nine points clear of the relegation zone with eight games to play.

Image source, Rex Features

While Preston North End may have succumbed to a 3-0 loss to Premier League side Aston Villa in Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final, it hasn't left the fans of the Lancashire club feeling too down.

We asked for your thoughts on Preston's display and here's what you had to say:

Iain: A tough game, but I'm not upset to be coming away defeated; the clearly better team won. Great to see Theo Carroll (first-team debut) and Noah Mawene get game time, hope to see them again before the season's out.

Paul: Well done Aston Villa and good luck for the rest of the competition. Villa deserved the victory. I did think the penalty was a ridiculous 'modern' decision... Our defender stepped on his foot, Villa man took another step, then went down! Didn't matter, in reality... Villa the better team. Good run by North End though, and a full house!

John: Preston held out well for 58 minutes with a much depleted team against a class outfit, helped by a very Premier League friendly referee.

David: Too many injuries which eventually impacted the scoreline. Villa's class won the game although the score is harsh on us.

Anthony: Preston were always going to be the underdogs but did not disgrace themselves. They played relatively well and if they played as well in the Championship, they could do well.

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Lilywhites boss Paul Heckingbottom gave his reaction to BBC Radio 5 Live after Preston's 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat by Premier League side Aston Villa:

"We would have found that a difficult game (if we) were at full strength - we were never going to win it with 11 so we needed the full squad to get any sort of game.

"We limited them in the first half and performed really, really well. We had the best chance in the first half, we started the second half in the same fashion and then within five minutes the game was gone from us - that's the difference between the Championship and Premier League.

"I felt today with what we had, we needed the first goal. We're all disappointed but proud of the performance - I think the fans enjoyed it, but we would have loved a different outcome.

"We were ready to make the changes when we were 1-0 down but then within a blink of an eye they got the second and it became a difficult afternoon then."

On the atmosphere at Deepdale: "Fantastic - it was a great day for the fans. We've had some really good cup days and nights this season and it's the players that have earned that for the fans.

"We now want the fans back in the last few league games. It's been a good season in terms of cup competitions and we've been really consistent in the league.

"We know where we need to improve but from where we were and the negativity at the start of the season, I think we're in a good place - but this should whet the appetite to do better next season."

Preston are hard to beat at home and have not lost at Deepdale since 2 November, a run of 15 games.

I have seen quite a bit of Paul Heckingbottom's team this season and they will defend deep, set up in a 3-5-2 shape and make themselves hard to break down.

It is an old football cliche, but in this case it is very true that the first goal will be extremely important.

Aston Villa have got some brilliant attacking players, but I also always feel like teams can score against them.

If they go behind, they could have problems but I do feel their quality should see them through - depending on Unai Emery's team selection of course, with a big league game coming up at Brighton on Wednesday.

Villa have got their eyes on numerous prizes and there probably hasn't been excitement levels like this at the club since Martin O'Neill signed me in 2006.

I'm still backing them here, but it is going to be a cagey game, and they might have to wait to make the breakthrough before a couple of late goals get the job done.

I'm going for Emi Martinez to keep a clean sheet, too. His keepie-uppie antics,, external to wind up Brazil while playing for Argentina this week were another reminder of why he is the best goalkeeper in the world. Anyone who can produce moments like that in a game of that magnitude deserves all the accolades you can get.

Sutton's prediction: 0-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Preston midfielder Stefan Thordarson joins Ben Croucher on The Football News Show to look ahead to Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against Premier League side Aston Villa.

He says they have been working on their set-pieces and are "well prepared" for the challenges Unai Emery's side may pose.

Watch The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer

Image source, Rex Features

Ryan Porteous believes joining Preston has strengthened his position in the plans of Scotland manager Steve Clarke.

The defender has made 12 international appearances and is in the squad for Scotland's two-legged Nations League play-off against Greece during the current international break.

The 25-year-old moved to Deepdale on loan from Watford on transfer deadline day and has featured in all eight of their Championship games since signing.

"I've come in to bring Preston short-term success and put myself in the best position to be ready for the internationals coming up and I think I've done that," Porteous told BBC Radio Lancashire, external.

"My goals were to come, play for Preston, do the best I can for them and put myself in the best position in the eyes of Steve Clarke."

Porteous scored his first goal for the club in last Saturday's 2-1 win over Portsmouth which has kept Preston nestled in mid-table - 11 points above the bottom three and 10 adrift of the top six.

"When I was joining I spoke to the manager and (defender) Liam Lindsay who I obviously know really well and wanted to get an idea of what the club was like," Porteous added.

"He sold the club to me in a five or 10 minute phone call so I knew what I was coming into."

Image source, Rex Features

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom has been speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire after the 2-1 win over Portsmouth.

"Their (Portsmouth's) organisation is good, they make it difficult, so I felt we were accepting that in the first half," he said.

"We weren't, but I felt they were having too big an impact on how we wanted to play. We needed to change it and then we did.

"I enjoyed watching the second half, I enjoyed being part of it and we created enough chances to win, which is the pleasing thing.

"I'm really, really pleased with the win."

Portsmouth make the trip to Preston North End on Saturday (15:00 GMT) as they look to climb further away from the threat of relegation.

Pompey claimed a huge win over Leeds United on the weekend, but then lost out to bottom side Plymouth Argyle in the midweek.

The Hampshire team got the better of North End in the reverse fixture back in November, though that was at Fratton Park where Pompey have picked up most of their Championship wins this season - only two of their 11 have come on the road.

• Preston are unbeaten in their last 10 league games against Portsmouth at Deepdale (W6 D4), with this their first meeting since March 2013 in League One, a 1-1 draw.

• Portsmouth are looking to complete a league double over Preston North End for the first time since the 1969-70 season.

• Eight of Preston's last 11 league games at Deepdale have been draws (W3), including each of their last three. They've only lost one out of 17 on home soil under Paul Heckingbottom (W6 D10).

• Portsmouth have lost 12 of their last 16 away league games (W2 D2), including eight of their last nine (W1).

• Portsmouth's Josh Murphy has scored in each of his last two Championship games against Preston, while he's also scored in his most recent appearance at Deepdale in April 2017 for Norwich.

Image source, Getty Images

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom wants his defenders to score more goals to take the burden off the forwards.

The Lilywhites have scored just 37 goals this season, the fifth fewest in the division and Heckingbottom has laid the gauntlet down to the back line, who he says should contribute more in the final third.

Jordan Storey and Andrew Hughes have just one goal each among Preston's defenders, with Liam Lindsay, Ryan Porteous, Jack Whatmough and Lewis Gibson yet to find the target.

"How many goals have our centre-backs scored this season? Nowhere near enough," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"They should be chipping in, from corners, free kicks and all set plays. That changes the dynamic of the game across the board."

Preston host Portsmouth on Saturday at Deepdale and are expected to be without midfielder Brad Potts due to a hamstring injury.

Storey could also return having been out since January, and Heckingbottom is hoping his side can pick up from their performance in Tuesday's draw at Sunderland.

"I was really pleased. There were so many good examples of our work against certain systems," Heckingbottom added. "Consistency has been good, but we've got to win when playing well."

Preston North End striker Emil Riis is yet to be offered a new contract by the club, according to manager Paul Heckingbottom.

The Danish forward scored his 10th goal of the season in North End's draw at Sunderland on Tuesday with his current contract expiring in the summer.

"As it stands he will be leaving. It's not up to me, it's up to Emil," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"Any player who is out of contract, it's totally up to them what they do."

Riis arrived at Deepdale from Danish Superliga team Randers in October 2020 and has scored 39 goals in 114 league starts.

Heckingbottom is unsure whether a new deal will be offered to the 26-year-old who could move on for free at the end of the season.

''We don't want any players here who don't want to be here and likewise players don't want to play for a club that doesn't want them," he added.

Image source, Getty Images

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom was full of praise for his side after their 1-1 draw at Sunderland.

Romaine Mundle's strike four minutes from time rescued a point for the Black Cats after Emil Riis had put Preston ahead.

Heckingbottom admitted he was frustrated to be pegged back, but was proud of his players' performance.

"I'm delighted with the team. They were excellent," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"I've said how consistent we've been but the other consistent thing has been not picking up three points when we've been really good.

"That is the story of our season, really. We've got to be better in key positions. We've not been clinical enough, shown enough quality and our decision making [hasn't always been right]. I can't criticise anything tonight."

Heckingbottom also credited his players' strength of character despite conceding late on.

"We were good throughout. Not many teams come here and dominate the ball. I thought we were the coolest heads out there," he added.