Preston North End need to keep Darnell Fisher fit and available says boss Alex Neil

Darnell Fisher is a player who Preston North End manager Alex Neil wants to get on the pitch much more than he has been this season.
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The right-back has been limited to four games in the Championship and Neil says having him available is always a big boost.

A hamstring injury kept him sidelined from the middle of September through to late October, that on the back of him missing a section of the pre-season with a calf strain.

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Frustratingly for Fisher, injury hit soon after he had scored his first Preston goal after more than three years with the club.

North End right-back Darnell FisherNorth End right-back Darnell Fisher
North End right-back Darnell Fisher

Neil told the Lancashire Post: “When Fish is fit, he’s excellent isn’t he?

“I thought he was terrific the other week at Reading.

“He’s very combative and is someone you don’t want to play against. He’s like a rash in that he’s all over you, he wants to win the ball.

“Physically Fish is very strong, he’s quick too.

“The thing with him is that we have to make sure his fitness levels stay topped up.

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“Later in games his levels can start to dwindle a little bit.

“When he’s on the far side of the pitch from me, he has a habit of not running as much as when he’s on my side – that really irritates me.

“But he’s a proper lad, a proper player, he’s good on the ball and has all the attributes.

“He’s a winner and you want winners in your team.”

Fisher, 26, who is in the last few months of his contract, is the most attacking of North End’s full-backs.

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With Neil looking for more creativity from his side, at Deepdale especially, getting the full-backs higher could well be key to that.

Said Neil: “Darnell has got good quality, he’s got a whole range of passing.

“He can find a striker for you, he can clip the channel, can find feet and can go beyond.

“The technical part of his play is something which doesn’t get talked about too often.”

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Neil’s remarks about Fisher switching off a little bit when he is on the other side of the pitch, might mean the PNE manager having to boom out instructions even louder than he does now.

Said Neil: “He’s that far away that he kids me on that he can’t hear me!

“I tend to be shouting for him to get up and down the pitch a bit more.

“Darnell hasn’t played a lot this season, we need to top up his fitness to allow him to show the attributes he has.”

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Neil has mixed rest days with work on the training pitches at Euxton this week.

The PNE squad trained on Tuesday and Wednesday, had a breather yesterday, and were back in today. They will get the weekend off before a normal training schedule next week.

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