Preston North End predicted XI vs Luton Town - potential debut and big question over midfielder
PNE head to Luton Town on Saturday for the hosts’ first game under Matt Bloomfield
Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom has some tough calls to make for Saturday’s trip to face Luton Town.
Kenilworth Road is the venue for the Lilywhites this weekend and new signing Jayden Meghoma is in contention for his debut - after signing on loan from Brentford. Fellow January recruit, Lewis Gibson, may also make his first league start for PNE. The defender played 90 minutes against Charlton in midweek as Preston progressed in the FA Cup.
On the team news front Robbie Brady is back in training but this one may come too soon for him to start. The Irishman has been out with a cracked rib and Heckingbottom has stressed the importance of not rushing him back. Brad Potts - who scored a wonder goal at Luton in 2022/23 - remains sidelined and club captain Ben Whiteman serves the first of his two-match suspension.
Despite Luton’s struggles this season the game promises to be a difficult assignment for North End. Of the Hatters’ 25 points this season, 21 of them have come at home. It is a notoriously difficult place to go and there is the added factor of it being manager Matt Bloomfield’s first match in charge. All of that will need to be taken into consideration by the PNE chief.
He has, though, assured there will be no second-guessing what Bloomfield - who arrives from high-flying League One side Wycombe Wanderers - will do on the day. Heckingbottom’s first game at North End was, coincidentally, at home to Luton and his team edged the Hatters 1-0 at Deepdale. The visitors that day provided a tricky test though and there remains a lot of size and power in Luton’s squad.
Heckingbottom’s disappointment at performances this season have predominantly been on the road, so he will be looking for a XI to go there and compete fiercely. For that reason - and with Brady and Potts both potentially missing - a debut for Meghoma would be no surprise at all. He is only with PNE for 20 games and said to be ready to go; Heckingbottom also praised him as ‘game’.
Another big question is whether Ryan Ledson will make his first start in 17 league games. After the New Year’s Day defeat at West Brom, the PNE boss stated in his post-match press conference that Ledson would start the next away game. The Liverpudlian’s personality was something he felt Preston had badly lacked on their travels.
Elsewhere in the squad, Duane Holmes, Stefan Thordarson and Josh Bowler came into the team against the Addicks. None of the trio particularly staked a claim to start on Saturday; loan stars Kaine Kesler-Hayden and Sam Greenwood will almost certainly return. Mads Frokjaer could keep his place despite a fairly average showing, unless Heckingbottom goes two up top. Milutin Osmajic scored a brace on Tuesday night; Emil Riis has tended to get the nod ahead of him though.
Predicted Preston North End XI vs Luton Town
XI: Freddie Woodman; Jordan Storey, Lewis Gibson, Andrew Hughes, Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Ryan Ledson, Ali McCann, Jayden Meghoma, Sam Greenwood, Mads Frokjaer, Emil Riis.