Preston North End handed welcomed injury boost as former Stoke midfielder closes in on long-awaited debut
Jordan Thompson is closing in on his Preston North End debut
Preston North End have been provided with a welcome injury boost.
That’s after summer signing Jordan Thompson was filmed taking part in a group training session with his Lilywhites team-mates.
The midfielder, who was Paul Heckingbottom’s first new arrival of the summer transfer window following his release by Stoke City, has yet to feature for PNE.
An ankle injury picked up at the end of last season prevented the Northern Ireland international from hitting the ground running at Deepdale.
He was then, frustratingly, told that he would need an operation following a misdiagnosis at the time - treatment that has seen him sit out the club’s opening 11 games of the 2025-26 season.
In fairness, North End have been coping well in Thompson’s absence, with Heckingbottom’s side sitting fourth after nine Championship fixtures.
However, finally having the former Blackpool man back in a position where he can put himself in contention to feature will provide a massive lift for the squad as they start their preparations for next weekend’s trip to West Brom, where they’ll have a five-game unbeaten record to protect.
It’s not clear whether Thompson will be fit to feature at the Hawthorns, with PNE unlikely to want to throw the midfielder straight into the deep end.
However, whatever Heckingbottom and his staff decide to do, Thompson is just delighted to be back on the training pitch and getting his Preston North End career started after a frustruating beginning to life at Deepdale.
The 28-year-old said: ‘It's been good. I haven't been doing all the session but I've just been dropped back in at the start, a bit of a possession ball work and that!
‘But no, it's been good just to finally get back out with the boys. It's been long.
‘I've been in the gym since I've signed and obviously I've got the operation. But no, that’s me back out on the pitch now, so it's been good.’
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