Both teams are seeking to end their lengthy absence from the Championship and are ready to battle it out to avoid another season in the third tier of English football.

Preston

Simon Grayson's men eased past Chesterfield in their semi-final clash as they secured a 4-0 aggregate victory to book their place at Wembley.

The ease of their victory was impressive as Preston managed to put their disappointment of narrowly missing out on automatic promotion to the second tier on the final day following their defeat to Colchester United behind them.

Preston chose the wrong time to lose their first match in 19 games as MK Dons earned promotion as their expense, but the club are still in excellent form heading into the playoff final.

The foundation for their great season has been their record at the back as Grayson's side have conceded just 40 goals in their 46 matches during the regular campaign, keeping 21 clean sheets in the process - the most in the division.

Preston kept up their solid record by not conceding in either of the two legs against Chesterfield and will head into the showdown with a great deal of confidence due to their displays at the back.

At the other end of the pitch, Grayson's men have been equally impressive as they notched 79 goals during the regular campaign. Joe Garner led the way with 25 strikes, but Jermaine Beckford has been the leading man in the playoffs, scoring three of the four goals against Chesterfield.

Grayson will be hopeful that his team can put their form together for one final match to reach the second tier for the first time since their relegation back in the 2010-11 season.

Recent form: DWWLWW

Swindon

Swindon were forced to hold their breath in the final minutes of their remarkable playoff clash against Sheffield United to seal their place at Wembley.

Mark Cooper's men capitalised on their advantage from the first leg as they scored three early goals at the County Ground. However, the Blades came roaring back in the second half and nearly forced extra time, but the hosts managed to hold out.

The Robins now have a chance to make a return to the Championship for the first time since 2000, when they were last relegated from the second tier.

Swindon had the fourth-best attack in the division in the regular season as they netted 76 goals in the campaign. Andy Williams led the way with 21 strikes, while Michael Smith also notched 17. Ben Gladwin has also impressed from midfield with 10 goals for the season.

Defensively, Cooper's men have struggled at times as displayed in the second leg against the Blades. They conceded 57 goals in the season which gave them the 10th-best record in the division, which could leave them exposed against the potent Preston attack.

Swindon's recent form has not been that good either, as their first-leg win over Nigel Clough's men was their first victory in five games. Cooper's men will have to hope that the unpredictability of the playoffs is on their side at Wembley.

Recent form: DLDDWD

Team News

Paul Gallagher in action for Preston North End on January 7, 2015

Grayson has no new injury worries ahead of the showdown at Wembley as Paul Gallagher has declared himself fit for the match.

The Scot appeared to have a foot injury against Chesterfield, but was given the all-clear to play earlier this week, meaning that Grayson can name an unchanged team.

Swindon defender Nathan Thompson is in a battle to be fit for the clash at Wembley as he sustained a hamstring injury in the second leg against Sheffield United.

Thompson was forced off in the fixture and was replaced by Jonathan Obika, although Jack Barthram and Raphael Rossi-Branco, along with Harry Toffolo, could fill the void if the captain is unable to play.

Williams is also a doubt for the clash, which could see Jermaine Hylton and Smith lead the line for the Robins at Wembley.

Preston possible starting lineup:
Johnstone, Clarke, Wright, Huntington, Woods, Welsh, Kilkenny, Johnson, Gallagher, Beckford, Garner

Swindon possible starting lineup:
Foderingham, Byrne, Thompson, Stephens, Turnbull, Ricketts, Gladwin, Luongo, Kasim, Smith, Hylton

Head To Head

In the last meeting between the sides, Preston ran out 3-0 winners at Deepdale thanks to a hat-trick from Garner.

However, at the County Ground, Williams scored the only goal of the game to guide the Robins to victory back in November.

Over the course of history, Preston have fared better in the contest as they have won 15 of the 32 meetings. Meanwhile, Swindon have recorded nine victories, while eight of the matches have ended in draws.

We say: Preston 2-1 Swindon

Preston would have been kicking themselves over missing out on automatic promotion on the final day, but their displays against Chesterfield proved that they had quickly regrouped. Grayson's men may just have the quality to edge past Swindon to secure a return to the Championship.