Paul Heckingbottom provides the latest Preston North End team news ahead of Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom says Milutin Osmajic is in contention to face Aston Villa.

The Montenegro international didn’t go away with his county over the international break, having missed the last three league fixtures with a reported hip issue. Following the 2-1 win over Portsmouth it was then confirmed that the FA had charged Osmajic.

That further raised question marks over whether the striker, who scored in the fifth round win over Burnley, would feature on Sunday. But, Heckingbottom stated in his pre-match press conference that the number 28 is in the fold. He also confirmed

“Yeah, he's been back training,” the PNE boss told the Lancashire Post. “Obviously, he missed his international games as well. Hip injury... we got him to see a surgeon early on in the week. Things have begun to settle down, which is good, and he's trained the last two days. Not yet (responded to the FA charge) - got an extension, because he'd been away to see the specialist and things.”

Elsewhere on the team news front, Jayden Meghoma is said to be fine despite withdrawing from the England Under-19 squad. That was as a precaution over the Brentford loan man’s minor ankle issue. Brad Potts and Ali McCann are set to remain on the sidelines but there is hope over Jordan Storey being able to start.

“Pottsy is out,” said Heckingbottom. “Pottsy is going to be out for quite a while. I’m hoping we can get him back before the end of the season and get him some game time. He is chomping at the bit but yeah, you'll not be seeing him in a game for a while.

“Jordan is closer than Ali. Yeah, Ali will still be a while away. It's just frustrating what's come with these sort of cup runs. When you think the League Cup, then the FA Cup, then we had the FA Cup game cancelled, which has pushed everything back.

“Listen, in the short term, we're bothered about this game and being short on numbers for this game. But we've got five games in less than two weeks and when it's that quick a turnaround, we're missing them for those games as well.

“So, that's the problem... that's just something that comes with the territory, I'm afraid. And yeah, they're missing this one, which they’ll be gutted about, but we need them back as quick as possible for these important run-in games as well.”

Preston will be without loan star Kaine Kesler-Hayden, who is ineligible to play his parent club. Fellow loanee Sam Greenwood is suspended along with midfielder Ryan Ledson, while centre-back Ryan Porteous must also sit out due to being cup tied - the Scot played against Fulham for Watford earlier in the competition.

“It would’ve been a fantastic game for him.”

On Kesler-Hayden, Heckingbottom added: “Yeah, listen, it's one of those unfortunate things. It's an FA rule; not Villa being awkward and not allowing him to play. I've experienced this before when we had Tommy Doyle and James McAtee on loan from Manchester City and we met them in the semis.

“Tommy had just scored the winner in the quarter-final and then couldn't play in the semis. Kaine's in a similar situation... played in all the rounds through it, performed really well for us and it would have been a fantastic game for him.

“Villa would have got good first-hand eyes, if you like, on him and how he's performing now, because he's done really, really well for us. So, yeah, I think everyone's disappointed with that, but we know the rule and that's it... no one being awkward.”

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