Preview: Preston North End vs Cambridge United - prediction, team news, lineups

Preston North End and Cambridge United will continue their preparations for the 2026-27 season on Friday, when they meet for a friendly in Spain.

The two sides both headed out for pre-season camps ahead of their upcoming terms in the Championship and League One respectively and will play their third friendlies.

Match preview

Preston North End will return to action in a friendly on Friday as part of their pre-season trip to Spain as they gear up for a 12th consecutive season in the Championship.

Their latest term ended in a 14th-placed finish under Paul Heckingbottom, dropping into the bottom half as they lost three of their last four games to end on 60 points from 46 matches.

In those games, the Lilywhites managed 15 wins alongside 16 defeats, having found themselves surprisingly fighting around the playoff spots until February.

They then turned their focus to the upcoming term with the hopes of a more sustained fight at the top end of the division and began with a 4-1 victory over local non-league side Bamber Bridge, before taking on third-tier Sheffield Wednesday last week and losing 3-2, having fallen two goals behind and drawn level through Alfie Devine and Callum Lang.

With four friendlies left to play before starting their EFL Cup and Championship campaigns in August, Preston North End will hope to mark their Spain trip with a victory on Friday as they ramp up their preparations.

Their opponents, meanwhile, head into the contest aiming to make a statement against second-tier opposition and make it three wins from three friendlies.

Cambridge United came into pre-season on the back of a memorable 2025-26 term, having earned automatic promotion back to League One in third place, finishing on 82 points from their 46 outings.

In that time, Neil Harris's side suffered just eight defeats, while only conceding 33 goals, 11 fewer than any other team in the division to seal their return to the third tier at the first time of asking.

Gearing up for life back in League One, the U's began pre-season against Cambridge City and picked up a 3-1 victory, with Louis Appere, trialist Tommy McDermott and Ben Knight on the scoresheet before meeting fifth-tier Southend United and winning 2-1.

Having now headed to Spain as they increase their preparations with three games left to play, Cambridge United will hope to keep building momentum in Friday's tough test.

Preston North End Club friendly form:

W L

Cambridge United Club friendly form:

W W

Team News

Paul Heckingbottom fielded entirely different Preston XIs for their two halves against Sheffield Wednesday last time out and should continue to rotate, although he may shift closer to a full-strength team to kick off.

Attacker Jusef Erabi made his first appearance in that friendly, following a loan move from Genk, and he may again play up front alongside Milutin Osmajic.

Callum Lang and Alfie Devine, who made last season's loan move from Tottenham Hotspur permanent in the Lilywhites' most significant summer business, got on the scoresheet in the second half and may play from the outset on Friday.

Cambridge United should also rotate again for Friday's game as Harris continues to prepare his team for the start of the League One season.

They have already taken steps to strengthen the squad too, with Callum Stead, Patrick Bauer and Isaac Heath arriving, while striker Gassan Ahadme has returned on loan after hitting 11 goals in 29 league games for the club in his last spell in 2023-24.

Defender Jack Perry is the U's' latest addition and has joined up with the squad following his loan switch from Coventry City, and he may be given a chance to feature in the back four that topped League Two's defensive charts last time around.

Preston North End possible starting lineup:

Iversen; Offiah, Gibson, Lindsay; Potts, Devine, McCann, Vukcevic; Lang, Osmajic, Erabi

Cambridge United possible starting lineup:

Eastwood; Bennett, Bauer, Watts; Bennett, Mpanzu, Knight, Bradshaw; Lavery, Ahadme, Stead

We say: Preston North End 2-1 Cambridge United

As pre-season ramps up, both teams are expected to rotate throughout Friday's friendly, but Preston should have the superior quality and depth to call on and may come out as narrow winners in tough conditions in Spain.

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