Preston North End hopes for an injury boost ahead of the trip to Coventry City.
CoventryLive brings you opposition injury news as we look at Preston North End’s injury list ahead of their Championship clash with the Sky Blues on Friday night.
Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe could be bolstered by the recovery of one of his four injured players for Friday night’s match against Coventry City.
The Lilywhites travel to the CBS Arena knowing that a victory would complete a Championship double over the Sky Blues, allowing them to overtake them in the league table as both teams compete for a spot in the play-off. North End is currently two points behind City in ninth position, with 49. Coventry plummeted to seventh place after Hull City’s win at Southampton on Tuesday night, and now have 51 points, three behind the Tigers, who are now in sixth place.
However, a win for Mark Robins’ side would propel them back into the play-off spots on Friday, thanks to a significantly stronger goal difference. Preston is currently treating midfielders Brad Potts and Duane Holmes, defender Kian Best, and striker Ched Evans. Potts sustained an injury to the bottom of his hamstring during Preston’s 2-0 victory over Cardiff City earlier this month.
“He is going to be a few weeks, Pottsy… but we are going to take it week-by-week,” Lowe told the Lancashire Post. “I believe the international break lasts four weeks. He will most likely miss the next four games, Pottsy, which is unfortunate.
Holmes, meanwhile, has a chance to play on Friday after making strong progress in his recovery from a knee injury received while taking a shot during a warm-up earlier this month, which caused the American to miss the previous four matches.
“Duano is on the grass and we will see how he is,” Lowe said. “He’s been chomping at the bit, but we had to kick him inside. That is the character he is, saying, ‘Can I put this bib on?!’ – but we must be cautious. We have a squad, and we’re fine with where we are right now. There is no particular rush to get Duano in.”
Meanwhile, defender Kian Best has been sidelined with an ankle ailment since mid-January. “Besty rolled his ankle a couple of weeks ago, so he missed out,” Lowe explained lately. “He had an ankle injury on the youth team and didn’t rehab it properly, so we need to make sure it’s correct. But he’ll be back on the grass and running in the next week or so.”
Finally, veteran attacker Ched Evans is nursing a hamstring problem after surgery for a major spinal injury last summer. The striker hasn’t featured since the FA Cup match against Chelsea, where he played 26 minutes. He has missed the last seven games, and Lowe explained: “There is some scar tissue at the back of his knee. It’s getting rid of it and strengthening his hamstring a little bit, as he had no power, which was a concern. We assumed it was neurological, but he is currently with the lads and working hard. He will strengthen it, and hopefully it won’t take long.”
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