Preview: Millwall vs. Preston North End - prediction, team news, lineups

Millwall play host to Preston North End on Saturday afternoon looking for the win that will take the club further clear of the Championship relegation zone.

At a time when the Lions sit in 18th position in the standings, Preston are 12th, five points adrift of the playoff places.

Match preview

As long as Millwall stay out of trouble, the likelihood is that Joe Edwards will be given time to try to build his own squad at The Den.

However, three successive defeats in all competitions have left Edwards on just four wins and seven defeats from his opening 14 matches in charge.

Losing 2-0 at relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers last weekend felt like the worst defeat of the Englishman's short reign, upping the stakes ahead of a return to familiar territory.

With the East Londoners eight points above the relegation zone, there is some breathing space for Millwall to make inroads up the table, with the gap to their next opponents being just six points.

Although Millwall recently put together a four-game unbeaten run at home, they possess the second-worst such record across the course of the season.

Opposite number Ryan Lowe also finds himself under pressure at Preston after what can only be described as relegation-level form since September 23.

Just five defeats and as many as 12 defeats have been posted in their last 21 league fixtures, with Preston's fast start to the campaign now a distant memory.

Nevertheless, Preston did impress at Elland Road last weekend, taking an early lead against Leeds United before succumbing to a 2-1 reverse courtesy of a last-gasp penalty.

Beating Bristol City in the preceding game will be taken into consideration when assessing Lowe's long-term job prospects, but Preston are very much at risk of enduring an uneventful second half of the season unless they improve on losing five of their last seven league matches.

Millwall Championship form:

Millwall form (all competitions):

Preston North End Championship form:

Preston North End form (all competitions):

Team News

Japhet Tanganga could make his first Millwall start, either as part of a back three or at right wing-back.

Murray Wallace will also expect to return in one of those roles on the opposite side, while George Saville is among those who could feature in centre midfield.

Rather than being used out wide, Ryan Longman may be considered for a spot in the final third.

Goalkeeper Freddie Woodman could be fit enough to be recalled between the sticks, while Duane Holmes may also be considered after injury.

However, barring any fresh issues, Lowe could stick with the team that pushed Leeds all the way last weekend.

Millwall possible starting lineup: Sarkic; Tanganga, Cooper, Wallace; Norton-Cuffy, Saville, Mitchell, Bryan; Watmore, Flemming; Nisbet

Preston North End possible starting lineup: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts, Frokjaer-Jensen, Whiteman, McCann, Millar; Riis, Keane

We say: Millwall 2-1 Preston North End

With both teams being consistently inconsistent, any result feels possible at The Den on Saturday. While the visitors would have taken confidence from their showing at Elland Road, we feel that Millwall will do enough to earn maximum points in a tight contest.

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