Alex Neil made five changes to the Preston North End side for the Championship clash with Birmingham City at Deepdale.

Darnell Fisher, Paul Gallagher, Josh Harrop, Tom Barkhuizen and Jayden Stockley came into the starting XI as PNE boss Neil responded to Wednesday night's defeat to Millwall.

Out of the side went Joe Rafferty, Ryan Ledson, Emil Riis, Scott Sinclair and Brad Potts who were all named on the bench.

Some of them had been hit by a stomach bug in the build-up to the Millwall game and that might well have influenced team selection this time.

Preston North End midfielder Josh Harrop makes his first Championship start of the season

placeholder image — Preston North End midfielder Josh Harrop makes his first Championship start of the season

For Gallagher and Harrop, it was their first Championship starts this season. But even with Gallagher's return, Alan Browne retained the captain's armband.

Fisher's return came after a more than a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

PNE: Rudd, Fisher, Bauer, Storey, Hughes, Browne, Gallagher, Barkhuizen, Johnson, Harrop, Stockley. Subs: Rafferty, Ledson, Riis, Maguire, Sinclair, Potts, Ripley.

Birmingham: Etheridge, Dacres-Cogley, Roberts, Dean, Pedersen, Sanchez, McGree, San Jose, Sunjic, Leko, Jutiewicz. Subs: Colin, Friend, Kieftenbeld, Hogan, Blela, Gardner, Prieto.

Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland)

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