Preston North End boss admits he should have started Paul Gallagher in the victory at Stoke

The midfielder was instead came on as a 74th minute substitute and within sixty seconds set up PNE's second goal for Tom Barkhuizen in the 2-0 victory.

Gallagher had missed three games with a groin injury and was an unused sub at Wigan.

Neil said: "Looking back in my opinion the Stoke game was tailor-made for Gally.

"I chose not to start him for two reasons, one he had only started training the week before after missing three games, and two, I felt the middle three had played particularly well at Wigan.

"There will be occasions when I go against my better instincts and on Wednesday night I was regretting it at half-time.

"Form does come into my thinking though, and lads in the team had been playing well.

"Gally did well when he came on, so did David Nugent who came on earlier."

Whether Neil starts with Gallagher against Millwall at Deepdale this afternoon (3pm), will be revealed when the team-sheet is published.

Alan Browne took a knock on the right ankle at Stoke but managed to carry on after treatment and open the scoring.

Neil said: "With a lot of injuries you get through the rest of the game because your adrenaline is pumping, you have all those endorphins.

"It's afterwards when you settle down that things start to hurt.

"We've got good options in midfield, Gally, Josh Harrop, Ryan Ledson, Brad Potts."

Neil is expecting a tough game against Millwall, a side who sit 11th in the Championship ahead of coming to Deepdale.

"Since Gary Rowett went in, their record has been excellent," said Neil.

"They have recruited a lot of bodies for this league.

"In the summer they went and got Connor Mahoney from Bournemouth, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson came from Reading, the boy Molumby came from Brighton on loan and has done well.

"Gary will have them structured and organised and most teams have found it difficult against them.

"They have changed formation a bit. Against Fulham on Wednesday night they went 3-4-3 which can change to five at the back when they don't have the ball.

"That is a different system to what Gary used to play. He's added layers to Millwall."