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Debutant James set for Blades clash
Matt James will go straight into Preston's midfield for tonight's clash with Sheffield United at Deepdale.
The 18-year-old trained with North End yesterday afternoon before his 93-day loan from Manchester United was registered when the loan window opened this morning.
He's the second player Darren Ferguson has recruited from Old Trafford in the past fortnight, following on from Danny Welbeck's arrival.
Ferguson thinks James will help get the best out of Welbeck as the pair played regularly together in United's reserves.
The Bacup-born teenager is likely to play alongside Paul Coutts in the centre of midfield, allowing Billy Jones to return to his favoured right-back slot.
It's midfield which has been the main concern to Ferguson since he took over a month ago.
Richard Chaplow is sidelined with a groin injury, while Darren Carter and Veliche Shumulikoski are out of favour.
On transfer deadline day last week, he brought in Coutts from Peterborough but failed in a bid for Doncaster's Martin Woods.
So he turned his attention to James, whose younger brother Reece is due to join North End as a trainee in the summer.
Ferguson told the Evening Post: "Matt is ready to come out and play first-team football.
"Players get to a certain stage where they have played enough reserve team games and need to take the next step.
"Matt has a good pedigree and the fact he has played with Danny Welbeck a lot will help Danny, that was my thinking."
Full story in Tuesday's Lancashire Evening Post
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Weather for Preston
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: -3 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
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