Preview: Preston look to pull themselves clear of any relegation chances as they face middling Stoke City | OneFootball

It wasn’t long ago that Preston were battling with the likes of Coventry and Middlesbrough for the top two spots in the Championship and looked set to finally break out of the second division for the first time in over 10 years.

Fast forward to now and the North-West side are hoping that three points on Friday night could see them banish any fears of being pulled into the relegation zone. Despite being 10 points ahead of the teams in the bottom three, the likes of West Brom and Oxford have begun to pick up form, whilst Preston continue to suffer from their mid-season slump.

Preston have lost their last four Championship games, including a desperately poor performance at home to Oxford where they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat. The Lilywhites haven’t won in the league since 4th January and unless this slide down the league is arrested, they face a nervy end to their campaign.

Stoke City found themselves in a very similar situation to Preston earlier in the season. The Potters were in the top two before a mid-season slump of their own saw them fall down the table. However, two wins in their last five games have seen the Potters climb back up the league, and they can now see out their season safe from relegation but with no real expectation of challenging for the play-offs.

Mark Robins’ side recorded an impressive 3-1 victory over Watford last time out to halt a run of three games without a win despite a valiant draw at home to Ipswich, where the Potters fought for a 3-3 draw.

Preston look set for their 12th consecutive season in the second tier, where they have finished in the top 10 only twice, as mediocrity seems to be the standard rate, it remains to be seen how long the fans at Deepdale will put up with it.

As for Stoke, they have middled in the second tier since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018; the Potters haven’t finished in the top half of the Championship since then. It looked as though that was to change earlier on this season however, a dramatic downturn in form looks like it will lead to another underwhelming season.

Preston will be hoping to fully welcome back goalkeeper Daniel Iversen and full-back Bradley Potts from a knee and groin issue, respectively; both have been out since January. Iversen featured in the side’s defeat last week against Norwich City, whereas Potts came off the bench on the hour mark.

However, they will still be without winger Callum Lang, who has a shoulder injury nor will they be able to rely on midfielder Alistar McCann who is still suffering with discomfort in his knee.

As for Stoke City, they are hoping striker Sam Gallagher can return to full fitness after he featured and scored in the side’s victory against Watford and may be able to start on Friday. Goalkeeper Victor Johansson has been missing for months with a shoulder injury and is expected to make his return at the end of this month. Elsewhere, veteran full-back Aaron Cresswell is still unavailable due to a muscle injury, making the Potters light in defence.

Friday’s game is a chance for Preston to stop the rot and pull themselves clear of any danger, yet for Stoke it’s a chance to make it back-to-back wins and get on their way to ending their season on a high.

Preston North End vs Stoke City kicks off on Friday night at 8pm GMT live on Sky Sports Football.