Preston North End

Stoke City make the trip to Deepdale on Saturday (15:00 BST) as they look to increase the distance between themselves and the relegation zone.

The Potters are only two points above 22nd placed Cardiff City but have won two of their past three league games to sit in 18th place.

They now face a Preston side firmly in the midtable, seven points clear of relegation but 10 away from the play-offs.

Will having more on the line spur Stoke to a win or will North End make good on their hopes to end the season strong?

• The previous league meeting this season between Preston and Stoke ended 0-0 – the last time both games between the teams in the same season were drawn was back in 1928-29.

• Stoke City have won three of their last four away league matches against Preston (D1), including each of the last two.

• Preston have gone 12 home league games without defeat (W4 D8), their best unbeaten run at Deepdale since a run of 15 between December 2014 and August 2015.

• Stoke City have lost their last four away Championship matches – they haven't lost five away league games in a row since losing six consecutively between January and March 2013 in the top-flight.

• Stoke manager Mark Robins is winless in his last 12 league meetings against Preston North End (D4 L8) since beating them 2-0 with Barnsley back in February 2011.

Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom says he is expecting a "totally different proposition" from next opponents Stoke City as opposed to Derby County, who they lost to on Tuesday.

"I looked at the team at the weekend and a lot of big players for them were back. Then, watching the game, I got a good idea of what Mark [Robins] is trying to do there.

"[Stoke] will come at us more with the ball in different ways. We will have to defend well, better than [against Derby], but in different parts of the game."

Saturday's match against Stoke will be their third since Sunday, having lost their FA Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa before the defeat by the Rams.

However, Heckingbottom is hoping that third time's a charm when it comes to earning a victory.

"It's always in the back of your mind when you schedule changes because of the cup competition, it's always in the back of your mind that it costs you players," he added.

"We tried to mitigate against that and we prepared and I think we've done well. We've got those freaky silly injuries, ankles, ribs, things like that which we could have done without.

"We will make changes again for the weekend. These are games that we are wanting win and pick up points in."

Image source, Rex Features

Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom says a poor start to the second half led to his side's downfall after a disappointing 2-0 loss to relegation battlers Derby County.

The Lilywhites started the game the better but were only able to muster one shot on target, while the Rams came out of the blocks in the second to gain a two goal advantage in the space of four minutes.

"The second half was a totally different game and as if we'd not prepared for the team we were playing against.

"It's horrible getting beaten but the frustration is how much I felt we were in control and dealing with their threats.

"In the second half all of a sudden we're not winning the duels, leaving men at set-plays and then we walk away from a second phase throw put in our box and all of a sudden we're outnumbered and one of their best headers is left free.

"That 10-minute spell just took the game away from us."

Preston suffered five consecutive losses to conclude last season, finishing 10th overall and currently find themselves in 14th.

Image source, BBC Sport

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.

Image source, Getty Images

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."