Manager Alex Neil will give Daniel Johnson every chance to fit for Tuesday’s visit of Neil Warnock’s Cardiff City to Deepdale, after the No.11 missed Saturday’s draw with Barnsley due to an injury picked up in training last week.
Fellow midfielder Ben Pearson is not expected to recover from the injury he suffered at Middlesbrough, which also kept him out of the weekend’s clash with his former club, but will also be monitored.
Paul Gallagher and John Welsh both returned to the squad at the weekend after their respective absences and both will compete for inclusion against the Bluebirds with the likes of Alan Browne and Josh Harrop.
The only guaranteed absentees for the gaffer are Tom Clarke and Greg Cunningham, who continue with their rehabilitation from the respective injuries that should keep them out until the new year.
John Welsh’s substitute appearance at the weekend was his 398th professional game, so he, like team-mate Gallagher who made his 500th appearance at the weekened, is nearing a milestone after his 11 months on the sidelines.