Paul Heckingbottom provides key injury update over Preston North End duo after Bristol City withdrawals
PNE claimed a 2-0 win over Bristol City on Sunday evening but did pick up two injury concerns.
Paul Heckingbottom has provided an injury update over Odel Offiah and Brad Potts following their withdrawals during Sunday’s triumph over Bristol City.
The Lilywhites’ impressive run of form continued, with a 2-0 win over the Robins at Ashton Gate after goals in both halves from Lewis Dobbin and Alfie Devine.
Potts was replaced by Pol Valentin at the break after a brilliant first-half showing in BS3, while Offiah came off with 13 minutes to go.
The number 44 returned to the starting XI to register his second start in three games since his return from a hamstring injury last month, which forced him to miss the opening months of the campaign.
Indeed, the 31-year-old impressed on the right-flank, causing the likes of Neto Borges and Rob Atkinson issues for the Robins, while also linking-up play with Dobbin and Devine.
PNE boss’ injury update over Brad Potts
But Heckingbottom has calmed any fears over a potential set-back for Potts, admitting he was taken off due to cramp.
‘Potts, it was a bit of cramp,’ the head coach told BBC Radio Lancashire after the victory.
‘Fine, we were sensible and just made that change straight away. He would’ve been coming off anyway so we made the change at half time and it allowed us still the three stoppages to make changes later on.’
There looked a more serious issue for Offiah, who was withdrawn in the closing stages of the victory and replaced by Liam Lindsay at the heart of defence.
The centre-back was helped off the pitch at Ashton Gate with what looked like an impact injury after another brave showing in the backline.
Heckingbottom, though, believed the 23-year-old’s his issue wasn’t serious but will continue to be assessed over the coming days.
Potential concerns over former Brighton man
The North End boss added: ‘Odel, yeah we’ll see how he is. We are hoping it was only a bit of fatigue and a bit of cramp as well but again I saw him limping.
‘Him, Jordan (Storey) and Ben (Whiteman), they’ve played all the games and all the minutes but touch wood.
‘Odel’s robust, he played 40-odd games last season. It’s not like when we got Dobbo and Alfie in and we’re trying to build them and their robustness as we work with them as well, Odel already had that background.
‘So fingers crossed we’ve done the right thing, bought him off and he’ll be fine.’