Chaplow suffered a recurrence of a hamstring pull just running on
to the pitch in his comeback game against his old club Burnley.

And as the 23-year-old continues his rehabilitation at Springfields the manager is determined there should be no repeat of the setback which has cost his side one of their most influential players.

"We have to make sure he is okay before he plays again," said Irvine whose team have lost four of their five games during Chaplow's absence from the starting line-up.

"Like Callum Davidson, Richard tried to come back as quickly as he possibly could have done and it has cost him.

"Full credit to him for being so keen to get back.

"But when that happens there is always the risk of a recurrence and that is what happened here."

Davidson, whose season has been blighted so far by a niggling knee problem, made two comebacks only to break down on both occasions.

Chaplow picked up the injury late in the goalless draw at Coventry.

Since then, North End's record reads P5 W1 D0 L4 with only five goals scored and 11 conceded.

His attempt at a comeback at Turf Moor was a disaster with the
player appearing to feel the injury in the warm-up and suffering a relapse as soon as he was sent on as a sub 20 minutes from time.

"I can't criticise Richard for pushing to get back into action because that's what you want from your players," said Irvine.

"One thing for sure is you don't want players to be happy to be in the treatment room.

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"I want them to be desperate to get out on to the training ground and in the team.

"I would much rather have them badgering the physios than the other way round.

"This has always been a problem between the medical people and
management in football and always will be.

"Managers want their best players out there on the field while the physios want to err on the side of caution.

"But when a player tells you he is fit then that's great, as long as he is."

Chaplow has been one of Irvine's best signings since he took over at Deepdale 11 months ago.

But because of bad luck with injuries, the January signing from West Bromwich Albion has started only 12 of the 34 league and cup games since then.

Read the Deepdale Diaries in this Saturday's Lancashire Evening Post