Graham Alexander addresses Preston North End's persistent injury problems

Graham Alexander insists Preston North End won't be feeling sorry for themselves amid continued injury problems, but believes 'in roads' can be made to prevent as many happening in the future.

Things couldn't have gone much worse for Alexander since taking charge of Preston, after suffering three defeats in three games and conceding nine goals in the process.

However, the new manager has been hamstrung by a series of injuries that have proven disruptive.

Alexander has had to substitute a player off due to injury in every game so far and has lost Harry Clarke and Liam Gibbs for significant periods of time, with captain Ali McCann already a long-term absentee.

That's on top of fitness problems for Lewis Gibson, Johnny Kenny, Caleb Wiley and Brad Potts, while Stan Mills missed the trip to Wrexham through suspension.

Numbers are so thin that Preston are 'looking at' the possibility of a free agent signing before the January window opens, but Alexander isn't going to use the spate of injuries as an excuse for poor results.

"I wouldn't call it a crisis," he told The Post in his press conference ahead of Preston’s match with West Brom on Saturday.

"It's not been ideal. We've lost players after Friday, after the match day -1 training session. Even on the morning of the game.

"Even last week, prior to Wrexham, Jordan Storey had been up all night, not very well either. So there's been a bit of that going round.

"It is what it is. We either feel sorry for ourselves or we crack on with what's in front of us.

"That's always been my idea, my mentality, and it's always been my team's mentality."

“Muscle injuries, I believe, are preventable in the long term”

The number of injuries and the amount of times players have had repeated issues, most notably in the case of centre-back Gibson, has led to concern from fans about the durability of the squad.

When asked if the injuries were plain bad luck or if something could be done about them, Alexander took a proactive stance.

He said: "I'd agree, contact injuries can be, they just happen randomly, but muscle injuries, I believe, are preventable in the long term.

"Well, not preventable, but you can make in roads into that, but that's when you talk about the off-season, the pre-season.

"We can't change that now, so we've got to deal with what we're dealing with right now."

With the busy season already underway, Alexander has stressed the need to make gradual improvements to the squad or risk further injury.

"The increments we need to make have to be gradual," he explained. "Because if we just go hell for leather now after 10, 11 games of the season, it's not going to end well for players.

"We have to make these improvements; the intensity levels, the fitness levels, improve day by day if we can.

"Understanding that we've got a game every three games or at the end of the week, so we can't work to the fullest amount that you could in an off-season or pre-season.

"These are things that we're well aware of, we're not wishing we could be back, we're dealing with the here and now."

Preston parted ways with first-team fitness coach Andy Liddell on Monday, as well as first-team coach Peter Murphy. One new hire for the coaching staff is now being sought out, Alexander revealed.

PNE played a behind-closed-doors game on Tuesday

With senior squad members not playing reserve football as much in the modern game, Alexander likes to put on behind-closed-doors matches so players who haven’t started in a proper fixture can still get minutes under their belt.

One such game was held on Tuesday, with Wiley playing 30 minutes on his road to recovery and Mills taking part following his suspension.

"If players haven't played regular football for a while they deteriorate physically and mentally as well, because footballers are here to play football," Alexander told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We had a really good game. Everyone who didn't start last Saturday played in the game, and we were delighted with their performance, how they approached it.

“We're footballers and we put a game of football, and we expect it to be at the right tempo. I was delighted with the players.

"It's gonna be a regular occurrence of keeping people match fit because we're gonna need the whole squad throughout the course of the season and if players don't play for two months or so, it's unrealistic to expect them to be the level required if you hadn't put on games for them.

"The physical data was absolutely top-notch and then a couple of players wanted to train again today.

“So they've shown really good indications of the character that's needed to get out of this period that we're in right now."