Preview: Preston North End vs. Coventry City - prediction, team news, lineups

At a time when Preston have recently dropped down to ninth position in the Championship standings, Coventry are 20th after three successive defeats.

Match preview

After posting six successive wins earlier in the season, Ryan Lowe would have been anticipating a drop-off in form at some stage.

However, the Preston boss would not have envisaged following the aforementioned streak with seven matches without success, recording just three draws.

Positives would have been taken from earning a share of the spoils against Millwall and Southampton after the international break, ending a run of four consecutive defeats.

Nevertheless, losing 1-0 at Hull City last time out has left Preston down in ninth place and just three points above Blackburn Rovers in 12th.

Preston have reached a point where it is difficult to see where their next victory is coming from, yet the same can be said of their upcoming opponents.

Overcoming their near miss with promotion to the Premier League was always going to prove difficult for Coventry, but Mark Robins would have expected far more from his new-look squad.

The Sky Blues went into the October international break having lost just twice in 11 matches, putting a positive spin on an otherwise average start that featured six draws.

Since then, though, three defeats in a row have been registered against Bristol City, Rotherham United and West Bromwich Albion, all without scoring a goal.

Still just eight points adrift of the playoffs, all is not lost for Coventry at this stage, but Robins is aware that their current form cannot continue in the long run if they want to emerge as promotion contenders during the second half of the campaign.

Preston North End Championship form:

L

L

L

D

D

L

Coventry City Championship form:

W

W

D

L

L

L

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Team News

Greg Cunningham will be absent for Preston after suffering a hamstring injury during the defeat at Hull.

However, Will Keane, who was substituted at the same point in the contest, will seemingly shake off a groin issue to be available.

Kian Best is in line to replace Cunningham, while Ben Woodburn - who is yet to make a single Championship start - and Robbie Brady are in contention for opportunities in the final third.

Robins will inevitably make changes to his Coventry XI with Matt Godden and Ellis Simms potentially both returning in attack.

Joel Latibeaudiere is also an option in the back three or at wing-back, but Liam Kelly and Kasey Palmer remain on the sidelines through injury.

Preston North End possible starting lineup:

Woodman; Potts, Storey, Lindsay, Best; Whiteman, Ledson; Woodburn, Browne, Millar; Keane

Coventry City possible starting lineup:

Wilson; Thomas, McFadzean, Kitching; Van Ewijk, Eccles, Sheaf, Dasilva; Allen; Simms, Godden

We say: Preston North End 1-1 Coventry City

This has all the makings of a tense game, both teams aware that they cannot continue on their recent runs. Coventry are most in need of maximum points, yet we feel that a low-scoring draw is the most likely outcome.

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