Grayson will make most of international break

The Lilywhites have gone into the fortnight’s gap in the fixture list on the back of some decent form.

They will resume action on April 1, in ninth place and five points shy of the top six.

North End boss Grayson said: “It’s not a bad time for us to have this break and a lot of teams will say the same.

“In the coming days we will recharge the batteries ready for an eight-game season.

“When you go into a break it can drag on if you’ve had a poor result before it.

“But if you win, it doesn’t feel as long to the next game.

“We drew at Blackburn on Saturday with the late goal and that wasn’t a bad way to sign things off.

“The players will have the opportunity to rest and we will put some work into them as well.”

The break will allow a few injuries to clear up, notably a shoulder problem which has been affecting Jordan Hugill.

Fit-again defensive pair Alex Baptiste and Marnick Vermijl will also step up their training schedule.

Baptiste has been missing since early January because of a knee injury, while Vermijl had surgery to cure a hernia last month.

Said Grayson: “Jordan didn’t train all of last week with a shoulder injury and had an injection on the morning of the Blackburn game to get through it.

“The break will give one or two others the opportunity to recharge the batteries.

“Baps and Marnick will get 10 days’ training under their belts and be available for the rest of the season.”

While North End resume after the break with home games against Nottingham Forest and Bristol City, the next few days will give 
Grayson time to assess his side’s away form.

The 2-2 draw at Blackburn was a seventh game on the road without a victory, five of those being draws.

Grayson said: “We’re not probably clinical enough at both ends of the pitch.

“We’ve been too open away from home at times and when we’ve got into good positions we haven’t made the most of the opportunities.

“You’ve got to do whatever is required to try and get 
something out of the game.

“We will keep working – we’ve got back-to-back home games after the international break.

“Hopefully we can carry on our home form in the manner we have done recently and get some away wins too.”

Tickets for Preston’s Good Friday clash at Huddersfield have gone on sale.

They have been allocated 1,923 seats, priced £20 for adults, £15 for seniors (60 and over) and £5 for under-18s.