Defender Patrick Bauer stayed calm after losing place in Preston team

Bauer appeared to be at fault for a couple of goals in the 3-1 defeat to Cardiff City and found himself replaced in the starting lineup by Paul Huntington next time out against Derby County.

Huntington’s three-match ban for violent conduct provided him a route back into the side. For the German, it is important when approaching the topic of his own form to never get carried away either way.

He said: “I’ve been in the game a long time already and I know when I play good and I know when I play bad.

“After I missed out in the Derby game, the games before I hadn’t been playing at my best and I understood the decision by the manager.

“I just kept my head up and tried to keep working hard whilst I waited for my chance again.

“Fortunately for me it came straight after the Derby game and I was back in the side and we won the game.

“Personally, after good performances I’m never too high, after bad performances I don’t get too low. I try to be consistent and just try to work hard doing my best.”

The 27-year-old was an injury risk after the Nottingham Forest game, Alex Neil preparing sub him due to a hamstring issue before Bauer’s partner Ben Davies was stricken.

“It’s better now, it just tightened up in the first half,” he said. “Also my partner had to come off so we couldn’t have done anything else, I just got through it and nothing happened.

“It’s difficult because for three months we haven’t been playing a proper game and then all the games come thick and fast.”