Barnsley v Preston North End team news: Five changes for PNE including first league start of the season for Josh Earl

Josh Earl, Paul Gallagher, Daniel Johnson, Sean Maguire and Emil Riis came into the starting XI in response to the 3-0 defeat at Luton last Saturday.

Scott Sinclair, Jayden Stockley and Paul Huntington dropped to the bench, with Ryan Ledson and Brad Potts ruled out by injury.

It was Earl's first league start in a PNE shirt since April 2019, with the defender having spent last season on loan with Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich Town.

With Ben Davies the only recognised centre-half in the line-up - Huntington and Jordan Storey were on the bench - it begged the question of who would play at the back and in what system.

Gallagher was making only his second Championship start of the season.

Barnsley: Walton, Andersen, Helik, Sollbauer, Brittain, James, Mowatt, Styles, Frieser, Woodrow, Chaplin. Subs: Odour, Moon, Palmer, Kane, Thomas, Miller, Schmidt, Adeboyejo, Collins,

PNE: Rudd, Fisher, Davies, Hughes, Barkhuizen, Browne, Gallagher, Earl, Johnson, Maguire, Riis. Subs: Storey, Rafferty, Bayliss, Harrop, O'Reilly, Sinclair, Stockley, Huntington, Ripley.

Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northamptonshire)

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