Preston North End predicted XI vs QPR as Heckingbottom points out 'ridiculous training camp'

Paul Heckingbottom faces a quick turnaround when it comes to Preston North End’s home clash against QPR.

However, speaking after the 2-2 draw at Leicester City on Good Friday, the PNE boss felt lots of his players were well prepped. Preston will remain without injured trio Ali McCann, Callum Lang and Robbie Brady, while midfielder Jordan Thompson has one more match of his ban to serve.

Lewis Gibson returned to action, from the bench, at the King Power Stadium. He could find himself back in the starting lineup for this one, but changes in midfield look unlikely given the absences of McCann and Thompson. Having had a fairly intense international break with Montenegro, Milutin Osmajic may make way for Daniel Jebbison.

On Osmajic playing an hour in Leicester, Heckingbottom said: “Yeah, still sore. They arrived at the hotel at six o'clock last night... it's not ideal, but they'd had a ridiculous training camp as well, in terms of the work rate that they'd been put through.

“Andy (Vukcevic) got injured after the last camp, so there's no way we were starting Andy. We wanted to use Jebbo or Milly, one of them on the pitch at any one time, to give us that threat, that pace. So, it was just how we did that.”

On whether changes will be needed, he added: “We'll see, not sure. I think some lads are looking in good places. There's every chance I'd have picked the same team if we hadn't have had the international break, because we did play well against Stoke.

“We'll see how everyone is. The boys who’ve been away, we've still got to look after them - Milly and Andy in particular. Jebbo, he had a big camp and a lot of travel. We've still got to look after them but I'd rather be looking after them here than them be away.”

Predicted PNE XI vs QPR

Predicted XI: Daniel Iversen; Jordan Storey, Liam Lindsay, Andrew Hughes, Pol Valentin, Ben Whiteman, Alfie Devine, Thierry Small, Andrew Moran, Lewis Dobbin, Daniel Jebbison.