Preston v Stoke preview: Championship clash live on Sky Sports Football
Watch live on Sky Sports Football from 5.15pm on Saturday
Saturday 18 August 2018 16:42, UK
Preston defender Calum Woods has been ruled out of Saturday's Sky Bet Championship home clash with Stoke due to a hamstring injury.
Woods suffered the injury in the 3-1 Carabao Cup win against Morecambe on Tuesday and could be out for a couple of weeks. Striker Sean Maguire (also hamstring) and winger Billy Bodin (knee) remain sidelined.
Boss Alex Neil made 11 changes to his starting line-up for the Morecambe game and Paul Gallagher and Louis Moult, both of whom have played for Stoke, are among those hoping to retain their places from the tie.
Ashley Williams appears set to make his first start since joining Stoke on loan from Everton earlier this month. Williams came on in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brentford as a replacement for Bruno Martins Indi.
And the Dutchman, having been forced off by an Achilles injury, is unlikely to have recovered in time for the game at Deepdale. Deadline day arrival Sam Clucas, who underwent a knee operation in May, is not yet ready to be involved.
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This is the first meeting between Preston and Stoke since February 2008 - Preston won 2-0 in a Championship fixture with a brace from Richard Chaplow.
Stoke have lost six of their last seven league matches at Deepdale, winning the other in September 2005 - a 1-0 win via a Paul Gallagher winner.
Alex Neil has faced Gary Rowett four times previously, all in the Championship - he has never won (D1 L3) and none of his teams have scored a goal, despite attempting 55 shots and 16 shots on target in those games.
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Stoke striker Benik Afobe has scored four goals in his last five league appearances, netting with seven of his last eight shots on target in the Championship.
Preston haven't won three consecutive home league matches since a run of four under Simon Grayson in March 2017.
Outside the top-flight, the last time Stoke failed to win any of their opening three league matches in a season came in 1991-92 in the third tier.
Prutton's prediction
There were some concerns before the start of the season after a couple of damaging injuries that Preston may find goals hard to come by, and that's proved the case so far with just one in two games. Only the bottom two clubs heading into the weekend have netted as few as them.
Stoke haven't got off to the start they would have been hoping for and their performances have underwhelmed so far. Gary Rowett will be demanding a lot more from his side and I reckon they'll have enough to edge this one.
David Prutton predicts: 1-2 with Benik Afobe to score first (35/1 with Sky Bet)
