Preston North End ready for a big test from high-flying Coventry City at Deepdale

The Sky Blues are in the top six ahead of their visit to Deepdale to face Preston North End on Wednesday night (7.45pm).

Although survival last season ended up coming comfortably in terms of points, it was only late in the season that staying in the division was assured.

Mark Robins’ men have used the momentum from staying up to target a push at the top end of the table.

In Viktor Gyokeres they have a striker in form, the Sweden international having scored nine times in the league – a player who PNE will have to keep a careful watch of.

PNE head coach Frankie McAvoy said: “Mark has done a fantastic job.

“We played Coventry in one of the right games I had in charge at the back end of last season and we won it 1-0.

“Coventry had been in a precarious position like ourselves and stayed up. This season they have started off extremely well in a division where there are a lot of good teams all trying to get into the best league in the world.

“Coventry have started better than us but there is no reason why we can’t go out and beat them.”

Gyokeres, 23, signed from Brighton in the summer after being on loan from the Seagulls in the second half of last season.

Before that, the Swede was on loan at Swansea where game time was limited for him.

Even at Coventry between January and May, Gyokeres was used more from the bench - he came on in 12 games and started seven.

But he did enough for the SKy Blues to go calling for his services again - this time on a permanent basis.

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