Preview: MK Dons vs. Preston North End

The first meeting of the Championship season between two of the newly-promoted sides occurs this weekend as MK Dons host Preston North End.

Preston will be keen to get one over on the Dons after they snatched the final automatic promotion place from the Lilywhites on the final day of last season.

MK

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Karl Robinson led the Dons to the Championship for the first time last season and now they sit top of the early table after a rousing away performance on the opening weekend.

There might have been tougher places to go than Rotherham United, but Robinson's men showed that they're ready to tackle the second tier with a clinical display.

They were 3-1 up by the 35th minute and by the end had scored with all four of their shots on target in a 4-1 success.

It means that they have scored two more goals than any other Championship side after finding the net 101 times, more than any other Football League side, last season.

They are without their three top scorers, Will Grigg, Benik Afobe and Dele Alli, from last season, though, and on-loan Sam Gallagher led the line at Rotherham. Although he couldn't bag a debut goal, he did set up two of the Dons' goals at the New York Stadium.

Since then, they welcomed Leyton Orient to stadiummk in the Capital One Cup first round and were on the verge of going out to the League Two side. They trailed 1-0 after 89 minutes but then scored twice in the dying stages to avoid extra time and book their place in the second round.

Recent form: WW

Preston

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Simon Grayson's Lilywhites overcame the disappointment of not being promoted automatically in May by cruising through the playoffs, scoring eight goals and conceding none as they returned to the second tier.

Their first match back in the Championship was at home against Middlesbrough, one of the favourites for promotion, and they got off to an encouraging start by drawing 0-0 with the Teesside club.

In the Cup they travelled to face Crewe Alexandra and got a first win of the season under their belt with a 3-1 triumph against the Railwaymen.

Preston lost just one of their final nine away league games last season, though that came on the final day against Colchester when they gifted Saturday's opponents the second automatic promotion spot.

Last time they were in the Championship in 2010-11, Preston picked up just three away wins all season.

Recent form: DW

Team News

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Preston have signed one new player this week, veteran goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, and he could challenge Sunderland loanee Jordan Pickford for the No.1 jersey.

On-loan Manchester United striker Will Keane scored his first Lilywhites goal in the Cup win over Preston and could continue with Joe Garner up front as Jermaine Beckford works his way back to full fitness.

Robinson is likely to name the same MK XI that started against Rotherham, with Gallagher again leading the line and Ben Reeves, who signed a new contract this week, in the No.10 role.

Carl Baker is the most likely player to come in if Robinson does make a change as he scored in both matches this past week.

MK possible starting lineup: Martin; Spence, McFadzean, Kay, Lewington; Potter, Carruthers; Hall, Reeves, Bowditch; Gallagher

Preston possible starting lineup: Pickford, Vermijl, Clarke, Huntington, Wright, Cunningham, Welsh, Johnson, Gallagher, Keane, Garner

Head To Head

The duo have met eight times over the past four campaigns and Preston are yet to be defeated, albeit only winning two of the matches. The other six have been draws, with both Preston wins coming on the road.

The last meeting was one of those victories as Grayson's men came out on top 2-0 at stadiummk. It remains the last time MK suffered defeat.

The Dons have also failed to score in three of their four home matches against Preston in the league.

Video Preview

Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:

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We say: MK 2-2 Preston

Six of the last eight meetings between these two have been draws and we fancy it becoming seven in nine. There should be goals, so a score-draw is our choice.