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

Playoff hopefuls Preston North End will face off with relegation-threatened Portsmouth in Saturday's Championship clash at Deepdale.

PNE are sitting in ninth place in the Championship table, while Pompey are in 20th spot and a point clear of the bottom three.

Match preview

Preston are sitting three points adrift of the top six after winning 11, drawing 11 and losing eight of their 30 league games this season.

While the playoffs are still in sight, their top-six bid has lost momentum with a return of one point from their last four matches.

Paul Heckingbottom's side have suffered three consecutive defeats against Derby County, Hull City and Middlesbrough before they were denied all three points in last Saturday's clash with Ipswich Town at Portman Road.

Preston took the lead courtesy of Lewis Gibson's first goal of the season, only for Jack Clarke to net a stoppage-time penalty to ensure the contest finished in a 1-1 draw.

PNE will now be focusing on their upcoming home game against Portsmouth, with the pre-match focus on Callum Lang's potential involvement after the attacker joined Preston from Pompey on the final day of the winter transfer window.

If he is fit to play a role, Lang will be looking to help his new side continue their impressive record against Pompey at Deepdale, having avoided defeat in each of their last 11 head-to-head home meetings, including a 2-1 success in March last year.

Portsmouth have improved their survival hopes with a promising run of form that has seen them lose just once in the last nine matches (W4, D4).

Pompey made it four consecutive games without a defeat in last Saturday's home meeting with West Bromwich Albion, which saw Conor Chaplin, Millenic Alli and Ebou Adams all net in a commanding 4-0 victory.

John Mousinho's side were due to be in action again against Ipswich Town on Tuesday, but the fixture was postponed for the second time this season, meaning they will head to Deepdale with the chance to claim back-to-back league wins for the first time this term.

Portsmouth have taken four points from their last two away games, but they have only won two of their 13 Championship road trips this season (D5, L6).

Pompey's hopes of a win will also be tempered by the fact that they have not beaten Preston in the league at Deepdale since February 1973.

The visitors can at least take confidence from the fact that they picked up a 1-0 victory in August's reverse fixture, giving them the chance to complete a league double over Preston since 1969-70.

Preston North End Championship form:

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Preston North End form (all competitions):

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Portsmouth Championship form:

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Portsmouth form (all competitions):

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Team News

Preston are without the services of Daniel Iversen, Andrew Hughes, Robbie Brady and Brad Potts due to injury.

Milutin Osmajic will complete the final game of his suspension period, while Jordan Storey is set to serve the second match of this three-game ban.

Lang has not played since Boxing Day due to injury, but the former Pompey attacker should be ready to feature in the matchday squad, along with fellow deadline day arrival Andrew Moran.

Portsmouth's lengthy injury list features Conor Shaughnessy, Josh Knight, Hayden Matthews, Mark Kosznovszky, Thomas Waddingham, Franco Umeh, Harvey Blair, Josh Murphy and Florian Bianchini.

Striker Colby Bishop is sidelined with an ankle injury, opening the door for new addition, Jacob Brown, to lead the line on Saturday.

Winger Gustavo Caballero should feature on the bench, while it remains to be seen whether fellow new arrival, Madiodio Dia, is ready after only arriving in the UK on Thursday.

Preston North End possible starting lineup:

Cornell; Lindsay, Gibson, Offiah; Valentin, Thompson, Whiteman, Small; McCann, Devine; Jebbison

Portsmouth possible starting lineup:

Schmid; Devlin, Poole, Ogilvie, Swanson; Dozzell, Adams; Segecic, Chaplin, Alli; Brown

We say: Preston North End 1-1 Portsmouth

Portsmouth tend to struggle at Deepdale, but they have proven to be tough to beat in recent times, and considering Preston have failed to win any of the last four matches, we think Saturday's contest could finish all square.

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