Preview: Preston North End vs Ipswich Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Dreaming of an instant return to the top flight, Ipswich Town will travel to take on Preston North End at Deepdale in the Championship on Saturday.

Both the Lilywhites and the Tractor Boys have made unbeaten starts to their league campaigns.

Match preview

Paul Heckingbottom's Preston barely survived in the second tier in 2024-25, finishing 20th, just one point above Luton Town in the drop zone.

However, the Lilywhites opened this term in strong fashion by following up their opening day 1-1 draw with Queens Park Rangers with a 2-1 victory over relegated Leicester City last Saturday.

That win brought Heckingbottom's side up to seventh in the table, where their tally of four points has them level with Birmingham City, Coventry City and Bristol City in the playoff spots.

However, fans of this weekend's hosts would be forgiven for being nervous given that their team have endured a dire run of form at Deepdale in recent months, with one sole triumph from their seven most recent home matches, a stretch that also includes four losses and two draws.

On the other hand, Preston could take heart from the fact that they have won their only home clash this season so far, and a second victory could see them climb into the top six on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Kieran McKenna's Ipswich gave a good account of themselves in the Premier League in 2024-25 despite being relegated, and they will have their sights set on bouncing back after getting a taste of top-flight action.

That being said, the Tractor Boys are yet to record their first win of the season, having drawn 1-1 with League One champions Birmingham before another 1-1 stalemate with fellow demoted side Southampton this past Sunday.

Dropping four points across their opening two games has McKenna's men 17th in the Championship, and they will see this weekend's clash as an opportunity to kickstart their campaign.

However, while the visitors won all three of their pre-season fixtures on the road, they lost last time out on their travels to League Two's Bromley, who knocked them out of the EFL Cup on penalties.

Taking all three points could be vital for Ipswich's ambitions in 2025-26, and would likely lift them into the top half, though extending their winless run to four matches across all competitions may damage morale.

Preston North End Championship form:

Preston North End form (all competitions):

Ipswich Town Championship form:

Ipswich Town form (all competitions):

Team News

Preston have a lengthy absentee list to contend with on Saturday, and though Brad Potts, Jordan Thompson and Will Keane could be back in action before the end of August, the trio are unlikely to be involved against Ipswich.

Additionally, striker Daniel Jebbison, who has an ankle issue, attacking midfielder Mads Frokjaer-Jensen, who has a groin injury, and wide man Robbie Brady, who has a calf problem, should all be available next month.

For this match, Heckingbottom will turn to a partnership of Milutin Osmajic and Michael Smith at centre-forward, backed up by Ali McCann, Benjamin Whiteman and Alfie Devine in the centre of the park on Saturday.

As for Ipswich, they will be without striker Ali Al-Hamadi due to a calf injury that is expected to keep him sidelined until mid-September at the earliest.

In his absence, George Hirst should start up top, supported by Jack Clarke and Jaden Philogene-Bidace out wide, as well as Sammie Szmodics from an attacking midfield position.

Elsewhere, the Tractor Boys will be missing Conor Townsend, Harry Clarke and Wes Burns once again this weekend, as all three are recovering from knee injuries.

Preston North End possible starting lineup:

Iversen; Valentin, Storey, Gibson, Hughes, Small; McCann, Whiteman, Devine; Smith, Osmajic

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Palmer; Johnson, O'Shea, Greaves, Davis; Matusiwa, Taylor; Clarke, Szmodics, Philogene-Bidace; Hirst

We say: Preston North End 1-2 Ipswich Town

Preston may have started the season in better form than their visitors, but their home record suggests that they may find it difficult to secure all three points this weekend.

On the other hand, Ipswich will be desperate for their first win of the campaign, and they may prove too strong for their injury-riddled hosts.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.