Preston North End

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Preston North End striker Milutin Osmajic scored five goals for the reserve team in an 8-4 victory over Wigan Athletic as he nears a first-team return.

Osmajic has missed the past eight games after being banned by the FA for biting Blackburn’s Owen Beck in the Lancashire derby in September. He was also fined £15,000.

He is eligible to return in Preston’s Championship game against Derby County at Deepdale on Saturday, 23 November, after the international break.

North End were 1-0 down to Wigan Athletic in their Central League Cup game on Wednesday afternoon before the 25-year-old took over, firing a first-half hat-trick to turn the tie around.

The Montenegro international played all 90 minutes and added two more with Theo Mawene, Layton Stewart and Kian Taylor also on target in the victory.

Osmajic has scored five goals in 11 appearances for Paul Heckingbottom's side this season.

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Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom feels his team should have come away with all three points after their goalless draw with Sunderland on Wednesday.

North End started well, having carved a chance in the opening two minutes but Sam Greenwood and Kaine Kesler-Hayden were unable to provide a clinical finish.

The hosts then had another opportunity to get ahead when forward Emil Riis curled in a shot that was denied by Sunderland's replacement keeper Simon Moore.

"It's a point but it should have been three. I'm pleased with the level of the performance again. That has been our minimum as we have been performing really well," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We had some really good chances first half and could have made the game really comfortable."

Preston have come away with points from six of their past seven league games (two wins, four draws) to carry them out of the bottom three and into 20th place on the Championship table.

"While we are picking up points these last few games, we know we could have had a hell of a lot more," Heckingbottom added.

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Sunderland are looking to return to winning ways when they visit Preston on Wednesday night following a 0-0 draw at QPR at the weekend. The Black Cats are top of the Championship and unbeaten in six games (W4, D2).

Meanwhile, the Lilywhites are without a win in three (D2, L1) and are just two points above the relegation zone before the midweek Championship fixtures.

• Preston North End have lost two of their past three league games against Sunderland (W1), as many as in their previous 14 meetings (W6, D6, L2).

• Sunderland have lost three of their past five league visits to Deepdale (W1, D1), including a 2-1 defeat in August 2023.

• At Deepdale, Preston are unbeaten in their past 21 league games in midweek (W10, D11) - only Manchester City are enjoying a longer ongoing such run in the top four tiers of English football (49 games unbeaten).

• Sunderland have won both their midweek league games so far this season and could win three in a row for the first time since February 2023.

• Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom is unbeaten in five previous encounters with Sunderland in the EFL (W4, D1). Only against Birmingham (P6, W4, D2) has he faced a side more often without losing.