Early-season strugglers Preston North End welcome Championship leaders Sunderland to Deepdale on Wednesday night.
This will be the second meeting between the two here this season, as Preston set a false precedent in beating the Black Cats in the EFL Cup first round back in August.
Match preview
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After a solid run of form which saw Preston go unbeaten in the Championship throughout October, back-to-back defeats now mean they are winless in four games.
Draws with Norwich City and Plymouth Argyle were respectable, and there was no shame at being eliminated from the EFL Cup by Arsenal last midweek, but Preston suffered a disappointing defeat at the weekend.
Paul Heckingbottom saw his side lose 3-1 here at Deepdale to Bristol City, leaving them just two points above the relegation zone heading into the midweek fixtures.
Home form is set to be vital if the Lilywhites are to move away from trouble, as just under 80% of their points have come at Deepdale so far, while tightening up defensively would also be preferable, as during that four-game winless stretch, Preston have conceded 11 goals.
Usually, facing the league leaders would present a daunting task, but historically, Preston have often enjoyed their clashes with Sunderland, losing just four of the last 17 head-to-heads, but two of those defeats have come in the last three.
Playing under the lights could give Preston the edge, though, as they are unbeaten in 21 midweek league games at Deepdale - only Manchester City have a longer run in the top four divisions of English football.
Manager Heckingbottom, who was not yet appointed when Preston beat Sunderland 2-0 in the EFL Cup shortly after Ryan Lowe left, also has an excellent record against the Black Cats too, remaining unbeaten in five clashes - winning four.
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Regis Le Bris's side will be out to avenge that cup defeat, but this a stadium where they are rarely successful, winning on just one of their last six visits.
Away form in general has not been hugely notable for Sunderland despite their position at the Championship summit, as they have won just three of their last seven on the road, and that record suffered further in the 0-0 draw with 23rd-placed Queen's Park Rangers at the weekend.
However, in context, it turned out to be a well-earned point for the Wearsiders, as Jobe Bellingham's red card for a rash lunge on Zan Celar shortly before the hour saw them need to manage a wave of QPR attacks late on.
That did end a three-game winning run, but Le Bris's men remain unbeaten in six heading into this gameweek.
The gap to Leeds United in second remains a relatively comfortable three points, as Sunderland seek to return to the top flight after eight years away, even though Daniel Farke's men did make ground on them over the weekend.
Team News
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Preston will remain without Montenegrin striker Milutin Osmajic, who will serve the seventh game of his eight-match ban for biting Blackburn Rovers' Owen Beck back in September.
Fellow striking options Ched Evans and Will Keane remain out injured, while Keane's Irish compatriot Robbie Brady is also nursing an ankle injury at present.
Sunderland will be without Bellingham after his red card at the weekend, for which the teenage midfielder will now serve a three-match suspension, while goalkeeper Anthony Patterson remains sidelined, with veteran Simon Moore continuing to deputise, after also featuring in the cup defeat to Preston earlier in the season.
Aji Alese and Daniel Ballard are out for the visitors in defence with respective ankle injuries, joining Ian Poveda and Salis Abdul Samed, who is yet to make his debut, on the sidelines.
Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts, Frokjaer-Jensen, Whiteman, McCann, Kesler-Hayden; Riis, Greenwood
Sunderland possible starting lineup:
Moore; Hume, Mepham, O'Nien, Cirkin; Neil, Rigg, Browne; Roberts, Isidor, Mundie
We say: Preston North End 1-2 Sunderland
It will be by no means an easy outing for Sunderland, despite the huge disparity in league position, and even though they have a poor record at Deepdale, they will be fancied to maintain their lead at the top here.
A disappointing defeat at the weekend will see morale suffer slightly, and Preston will need a rapid turnaround if they are to keep the league leaders at bay.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
