Preston North End man forced off against Derby County while suspension blow suffered for Stoke City trip.
It’s a quick turnaround for PNE after Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Derby County
Preston North End will be without Ali McCann for Tuesday’s trip to Stoke City – while Ben Whiteman will need to shake off a knock.
The midfield pair both started the 1-1 draw against Derby County on Saturday, but North End will definitely be without their number eight in midweek. McCann picked up his fifth Championship booking of the season, before match 19, which results in an automatic one-game ban.
Meanwhile, club captain Whiteman was taken off in the closing stages of the Rams encounter. PNE boss Paul Heckingbottom was optimistic over that knock, though. Centre-back Jack Whatmough, who started again in the absence of Liam Lindsay, also sustained an issue which should be overcome easily.
“He (Whiteman) opened his knee up a little bit,” said Heckingbottom. “He says it is fine. Jack got a knee first half… fine. You are always picking things up and then part of it is playing with injuries, so long as they are not muscle injuries that are going to get worse.”
Two players who were back in the fold for Preston on Saturday were striking duo Will Keane and Milutin Osmajic – with the former having returned from a thigh injury, and the latter’s eight-match ban done and dusted. Heckingbottom brought both players off the bench, along with Mads Frokjaer – whose omission from the starting lineup was explained post-Derby.
“They (Keane and Osmajic) looked like they have been out for the length of time they have been out,” said Heckingbottom. “It is tough. Mads has not trained. He only trained yesterday. He had a slight hamstring when we finished the Portsmouth game.
“But, now we have got them back, we’ve got another game midweek but those minutes will do them good. Whether they start or come off the bench next game, I am just pleased we have got them back and we can start using them – because we have been really limited from the bench.”
