Preston North End injury news and return dates ahead of Blackburn Rovers derby clash
PNE boss Paul Heckingbottom was without a whole host of first team players last weekend at Millwall
Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom will hope to have his squad boosted by the time Blackburn Rovers travel to Deepdale.
It’s now the November international break, with the fourth placed Lilywhites next in action on Friday 21st. PNE headed into the break with a 1-1 draw at fellow high flyers Millwall, though the Preston squad continued to look thin.
In recent weeks Heckingbottom has included youngsters Ed Nolan and Max Wilson on the bench, along with Noah Mawene. Saturday saw two goalkeepers - Jack Walton and Dai Cornell - in the squad.
Preston North End injury overview
Pol Valentin: The Spaniard, who started the season so brightly, injured his hamstring in the 0-0 draw with Bristol City on September 27. Valentin was given a chance for the trip to Millwall and seen training with the squad, so he should be back in the fold come derby night against Rovers.
Daniel Jebbison: The Canadian is in the same boat. After scoring that excellent headed winner against Sheffield United, he missed the three games after due to hamstring discomfort. Heckingbottom didn’t seem overly concerned but the forward wasn’t risked in the end. He was also back in training last week and will have a big role to play.
Will Keane: It’s been a hugely frustrating few months for the 2023/24 top goal scorer. Keane hasn’t played a single minute this year, with an injury in pre-season leaving him on a lengthy road to recovery. Heckingbottom, post-Millwall, stressed the need to build the striker up and be cautious.
Brad Potts: It’s been strange not seeing Potts at all this season; the number 44 is usually an ever-present for Preston. He suffered a hamstring injury in March and then sustained an issue in the pre-season friendly at Bolton Wanderers. Potts was back in full training in late September but only briefly, with another setback suffered. He looks to be on track for a return this calendar year but again, North End’s boss will want to take his time.
Ali McCann: Assistant boss Stuart McCall recently suggested it could be around Christmas/New Year before McCann plays again. The Northern Ireland international broke his arm against Birmingham City on October 21st. He will be able to maintain a decent level of fitness but a return to contact training will be a while.
Lewis Gibson: A real blow to lose the in-form centre-back against Sheffield United. It was a thigh injury for Gibson and the severity of it hasn’t been discussed in much detail. However, when McCall recently named the next batch of returning players, Gibson wasn’t mentioned. Grade three injuries can be six to 12 weeks.
Andrija Vukcevic: The Montenegrin was forced off in the Blades encounter as well and is expected to be out of action for a couple of months. Another blow, given the form he had found at left wing-back. Heckingbottom wasn’t impressed by the defender’s workload while away with his country.
Robbie Brady: The Republic of Ireland international had a strong 2024/25 season but is going to miss a lot of this one. Brady underwent calf surgery in September after suffering the injury in a behind-closed-doors friendly. All parties opted for Brady to limit the chance of reoccurrence, which means a longer spell on the sidelines. He won’t be in action this calendar year.