Out-of-sorts Preston North End will be hoping to arrest their poor form with a win over struggling Charlton Athletic and lift themselves back into a playoff place on Saturday.
The hosts are without a win in six games across all competitions but remain just two points off the top six. Charlton, meanwhile, find themselves just five points clear of the dropzone.
Match preview
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Preston have slid out of the playoff places and into 10th in the Championship table after a run of poor form of late.
Alex Neil's side are without a league win in their last five outings since a 2-1 home victory over bottom-of-the-league Luton Town in mid-December.
A 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers last time out ended a run of three straight defeats in all competitions, but Preston remain just two points off the playoff places and within one win of regaining their spot despite being 10th.
Despite their poor form, Neil may be confident of a result at Deepdale on Saturday, as Preston boast the finest home record in the Championship, winning nine and losing just three of their 14 home league fixtures so far this term.
The reverse fixture between these two saw Preston earn a narrow 1-0 away win over Charlton at the start of November, with Paul Gallagher netting the game's only goal from the penalty spot.
Charlton enjoyed a fine start to the season, but have since endured a dramatic decline in fortunes and find themselves in a real rut of late.
Lee Bowyer's men are winless in their last four across all competitions, and that run stretches back to one win in 16, recording 10 losses in that time.
The newly-promoted side did record a creditable 2-2 draw against league leaders West Bromwich Albion last time out, however, and will hope to earn more unexpected points on Saturday.
Preston North End Championship form: WDDLLD
Preston North End form (all competitions): DDLLLD
Charlton Athletic Championship form: DDWLLD
Charlton Athletic form (all competitions): DWLLLD
Team News
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Preston manager Neil has just a handful of players unavailable due to injury for the upcoming contest.
Billy Bodin and Danny Johnson are both expected to miss the clash, while Louis Moult is out for the season.
Charlton boss Bowyer, however, has one of the longest injury lists in the league to contend with.
Lyle Taylor, Chuks Aneke, Macauley Bonne and long-term absentee Jonathan Leko make up something of a striker crisis for Bowyer, but the injury woes do not end there.
Beram Kayal, Josh Cullen, George Lapslie, Ben Amos, Sam Field and Lewis Page are all also sidelined, leaving Charlton down to the bare bones of their squad.
Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Rudd; Clarke, Bauer, Davies, Rafferty; Pearson, Gallagher; Barkhuizen, Browne, Harrop; Maguire
Charlton Athletic possible starting lineup:
Phillips; Lockyer, Oshilaja, Sarr; Matthews, Pratley, Dempsey, Doughty; Williams, Green; Davison
We say: Preston North End 1-0 Charlton Athletic
Both sides are struggling at present, but Preston's superb home form should be enough to see them return to winning ways and have Charlton looking nervously over their shoulders towards the drop.
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