After three away games on the bounce, Preston North End return to Deepdale on Saturday to host Peterborough United.
Posh make the journey to PR1 for the first time since March 2015, in the season which PNE clinched promotion to the Championship, and Peterborough managed to do the same last term after eight years in League One.
Match Information
Venue: Deepdale
Date: Saturday 21st August, 3pm kick-off
Competition: EFL Sky Bet Championship (Matchday 4/46)
Kit: Home kit – available to order here!
Supporter Information
Saturday marks the second chance PNE supporters have had to return home after such a long time away, and there’s still time to get your ticket if you haven’t already, with full details here.
The new fan zone will again be open, starting from 12pm with last orders at 2.30pm, and after full-time it will re-open with last orders at 5.45pm. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are on offer, alongside other refreshments and live music.
Overseas supporters will again be able to stream this match live on iFollow PNE, while UK and Ireland residents will have access to live commentary, with full subscription details here.
PNE Team News
Frankie McAvoy confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Tom Barkhuizen, who has been isolating since last week, has been unwell suffering with Covid.
There will be a phased return of seven to nine days once he is well enough to return to training, and everyone at the club sends Tom their best wishes.
The Opposition
Peterborough head into the weekend having experienced every result outcome so far this season, having lost, won and drawn in their opening three games respectively.
It was late heartbreak in their last game which prevented them from consecutive victories, as 84th and 96th-minute goals from Cardiff defender Aden Flint earned his side a point away from home.
In charge of Posh and making a return to Deepdale on Saturday is former PNE manager Darren Ferguson, who was in charge of the Lilywhites between January and December 2010.
Key Stats
Peterborough were the top scorers in League One last season, netting 83 times on their way to promotion to the Championship.
Striker Jonson Clarke-Harris, formerly of Rotherham United, played a direct part in over 40 per cent of those goals, with 34 goal contributions, but is yet to score or assist so far this season.
This is a game which has very rarely ended goalless, with just three of the 24 meetings between the two sides involving clean sheets for both defences, but equally so, only one of the last eight meetings has seen both teams score.
Our Last Meeting
PNE last faced Peterborough, a League One side at the time, in January 2016 in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
It was the Posh, managed by Graham Westley, who came out on top, with goals from Martin Samuelsen and Conor Washington sealing their place in the fifth round.
Man In The Middle
Dean Whitestone will be the man with the whistle on Saturday, and he is an official Preston North End are fairly familiar with, given that he has taken charge of eight of their fixtures in the last two seasons.
Those games included the fantastic 4-2 victory away at Brentford last October, while he blew the final whistle just moments after Brad Potts scored a dramatic equaliser at home to Norwich in April.
He’s seen plenty of goals go in this season, too, refereeing Fulham’s 5-1 victory over Huddersfield Town and the Championship opener between AFC Bournemouth and West Brom which ended 2-2.
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