Preston North End will be hoping to continue their unbeaten start to the season when they host recently relegated Watford at Deepdale. They will be hoping to maintain a record of having never lost to the Hornets on a Saturday and they have only lost two of their last 15 league matches.
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TEAM NEWS
Ryan Lowe's North End are coming into this one off the back of a 0-0 draw against another unbeaten side in Rotherham United at Deepdale on Tuesday night. His side have only scored once and not conceded at all in their first four league games, and Lowe feels that the Rotherham performance was the best he had seen from any side he has managed, despite not being able to win the game, and he feels his players have now 'set the benchmark' for how he wants his side to perform each matchday. Lowe told iFollow PNE:
“The lads have set the benchmark now, haven’t they? “Since we’ve come back and throughout pre-season the togetherness and the camaraderie between the group [has been brilliant]''
Lowe remains without Manchester United loanee Alvaro Fernandez, who has made a great start to life at the club. He has an ankle problem and next Saturday's trip to Cardiff City appears to be a more realistic target for him. Forward Sean Maguire has returned to training in past couple of days but remains at least a week or two away from match action, as does defender Bambo Diaby. Tottenham loanee Troy Parrott has led the line for PNE in the opening games of the season, so expect him to do the same again for the visit of the Hornets.
Rob Edwards' side are also unbeaten this season, after Rey Manaj grabbed an equaliser away to Birmingham City in midweek in a 1-1 draw.
Ahead of Saturday's clash, Edwards couldn't speak highly enough of their opponents as he told Watford's club website:
“They’re very well coached. They’ve had four clean sheets which indicates they’re very difficult to break down, but not only that, they’ve got a distinct way of playing, and some good footballers as well.
“I went to watch them last week and I liked them. They’ve got characters in there, resilience and all of those things you’d expect from a Championship team, but they’ve got a good way about them as well. It’s going to be a really tough game.”
Despite speculation surrounding his future, forward Joao Pedro has played in every game so far this season. Barring a late switch before this game, expect him to feature at Deepdale.
18-year old Yaser Asprilla is also expected to play some part in the game, despite Edwards admitting he is still adapting to life in Hertfordshire and there is still a language issue. He started Tuesday's game and played solidly before being substituted with 15 minutes to play.
Edwards also confirmed Tom Cleverley will be out for a 'couple of weeks' with a calf injury. The future of Ismaila Sarr is still under speculation but he will miss out anyway with a hamstring problem and Imran Louza and Tom Dele-Bashiru remain long term absentees for the Hertfordshire side.
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Likely line ups
Preston North End: Woodman; Storey, Lindsey, Hughes; Potts, Browne, Whiteman, Ledson, Brady; Johnson; Parrott.
Watford: Bachmann; Kabasele, Sierralta, Cathcart; Mario Gaspar, Kayembe, Choudhury, Asprilla, Sema; Manaj, Joao Pedro.
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KEY PLAYERS
FREDDIE WOODMAN
Woodman is part of only the second side in the Championship era to not concede in their first four games of the season. The former Newcastle goalkeeper signed a 3-year deal at Preston during the summer and will be key to ensuring his side go five league games without conceding. A solid back three also helps but he'll be looking to keep Joao Pedro at bay, who scored in a 1-0 win for the Hornets in their last visit to Deepdale back in February 2021. Woodman however has seen Watford score past him in the two previous occasions he has faced them.
JOAO PEDRO
As mentioned, Joao Pedro scored the winner when the teams last met in 2021. That 1-0 win was the only Hornets win at Deepdale in the 21st century so the Brazilian will be looking to add to that and his own personal tally for the season having only scored in the opening weekend victory against Sheffield United. With Newcastle United sniffing around him, he'll be hoping to keep himself in the shop window by helping his side to victory.
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MATCH DETAILS
Where is the game being played?
The game will take place at Deepdale, home of Preston North End FC, Sir Tom Finney Way, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 6RU.
What time is kick off?
The game will kick off at 15:00 BST and the match referee will be Darren Bond.
How can I watch?
Unfortunately the game is not available to watch in most locations. Fans worldwide can however listen to the game via their club's website, for a price of £2.50 or for a £4.49 monthly pass. Match highlights will be available shortly after the full time whistle.