Preston North End on the verge of hitting pre-season target set out by Ryan Lowe

They have just one more game to play before the Championship and the Premier League pause their fixture schedule to allow their players to go off to the World Cup in Qatar.

After today’s game, North End will next play on December 10 as they make the trip to face Blackburn Rovers. But first, they must see of Millwall at Deepdale this afternoon, 3pm.

A win could see PNE finish the first part of the season in the play-off places but at the very worst, they will be in the top half of the table.

Lowe said: “Regardless of what happens on Saturday, the lads have got the credit in the bank for what they've done over the past couple of months.

"What we're achieving now and where we are is probably very good. We've got a fantastic group of players, they're all on the same page. They're well coached, well drilled and they take the game plans to fruition.

"Everyone wants to win a game of football but we know there is another team standing in our way to stop us. Our aim was to be in the top 12 which we probably will, regardless of the result.

"If we win and get a result, we could find ourselves in the position that everyone is striving to be in, that will be the aim.”

Lowe will have the same squad to choose from as beat Reading last week and it has largely been the case for most of the season.

Despite the gruelling fixture list, North End have done well to keep players fit and the praise for that was spread around.

Lowe said: “The years that me and John have worked together, along with the physios, the available ratios has been very high. I remember going down to Plymouth and the injuries were relentless, they couldn't get anyone on the pitch, John organised that.

"His strength and conditioning, along with Mick Kearns and Luke Hemmings, and Jodie Redgrave the nutritionist, they deserve a lot of credit as well, with the physios.

"They've been getting the lads fit and available most weeks. The fitness and medical department deserve a lot of credit because they've made sure we've always had a lot of players available.”