Match Pack: Preston vs Saints
Saints are back on the road again as they face Preston in the Sky Bet Championship on Wednesday night. Get set for the clash with our Match Pack...
THE MATCH
Preston North End vs Saints
Sky Bet Championship
Deepdale
Wednesday 25th October, 7:45pm BST
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Jeremy Simpson
Assistants: Rob Smith, Mark Pottage
Fourth official: David Webb
WHAT KIT WILL SAINTS BE WEARING?
Saints will be in their black and yellow third kit with grey shorts and black socks.
Saints will be back in their third kit on Wednesday night.
HOW TO WATCH?
Wednesday evening's game will be available to watch on Sky Sports for UK subscription holders, with the action being shown on the Sky Sports Arena channel.
Alternatively, you will be able to purchase a Saints Play streaming pass for tomorrow's fixture.
Everyone, including those of you in the UK and Ireland, will be able to listen to audio coverage of the action, too.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Saints left it late at Hull on the weekend but Ryan Fraser's stoppage time winner gave Russell Martin's side 10 points from the last 12 in a four-game unbeaten streak.
Preston sit one point and one place above Saints in the table after an impressive start to the season that saw them go unbeaten for the first eight games of the season, winning six of those.
However, Ryan Lowe's side have suffered an inverse turn in form as they are now five games without a win in a run that included three straight defeats.
Saturday's 1-1 draw against Millwall stopped the losing streak, but the search for a return to winning ways for the first time since September 19th is still ongoing.
TEAM NEWS
Saints will be without Ryan Manning for the trip to Deepdale after the left-back picked up his fifth yellow card of the season, resulting in a one-match ban.
Whilst there were no enforced injuries during Saturday's win against Hull City, Russell Martin suggested that there may be some rotations required for Saints' second outing of a gruelling three-game week.
Jack Stephens, Juan Larios and Ross Stewart remain the only other confirmed absentees.
In Preston's camp, they suffered no injuries in their draw with Millwall as defender Andrew Hughes is the only sidelined player as he nears a return from injury.
North End welcomed back three internationals who made the bench on the weekend - Alan Browne, Liam Millar and Milutin Osmajić - who may be handed a starting place on Wednesday evening if the hosts opt to rotate their side.
THE MANAGERS
Ryan Lowe: "We know what Southampton are, they had a bit of a blip earlier in the season but they've hit the crest of a wave now and are picking up some good results.
"We know it's going to be another tough encounter but they all are in the division, we'll rest and recover the lads then put our game plan together."
Russell Martin: "[The preparation for Preston] is exactly the same, I don't think it's any easier or any more difficult [after a late winner against Hull]. I think it gives everyone a bit more of a spring in their step on Monday morning, the players in particular.
"Watching the game back again the few times we have, we won because the lads stayed really brave for the last half hour with the energy and intensity they played at. Now we need to find a way to recreate that for the next two games in a three-game week."
TOP SCORERS
Preston
Goals:
Will Keane 4
Holmes, Frökjaer-Jensen 3
Liam Lindsay 2
Assists:
Duane Holmes 3
Keane, Frökjaer-Jensen, Browne 2
Osmajic, Brady, Best 1
Southampton
Goals:
Adam Armstrong 7
Ché Adams 3
Edozie, S Armstrong, Smallbone 2
Assists
Adams, Sulemana, Manning, Walker-Peters 2
Downes 1
ONES TO WATCH
Duane Holmes: Since arriving from Huddersfield Town in the summer, Preston's American-British midfielder, who has made two international appearances for the United States, has settled in quickly with key attacking returns.
Holmes has two goals and three assists in his first 11 league games, playing in an advanced midfield role and often arriving high in central areas during North End attacks.
Duane Holmes in action for Preston. (Photo: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Kyle Walker-Peters: Saints' wing-back earned a spot in the Championship Team of the Week for his impressive display against Hull at the weekend, as he registered the assist for Will Smallbone's opener.
Throughout his time at the club, Walker-Peters has proved his versatility and that will be a key factor in how Russell Martin shapes his side up with Ryan Manning's suspension - Martin believes his combative defender "can play anywhere" if needed, as time will tell where Walker-Peters is utilised on Wednesday night.
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 42
Preston: 14
Draws: 13
Saints: 15
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
September 2011: Saints 2-1 Preston (Hooiveld, Lallana)
February 2009: Saints 3-1 Preston (Surman, Saganowski 2)
November 2008: Preston 2-3 Saints (Pearce, Surman, McGoldrick)
December 2007: Saints 0-1 Preston
October 2007: Preston 5-1 Saints (Jones og)
DID YOU KNOW?
Saints are joint-third in the division for scoring late goals (alongside Hull City and Middlesbrough), with four strikes in the last 10 minutes of matches this season.
Ryan Fraser's 95th-minute winner was the third time Saints have netted in stoppage time after Adam Armstrong's 97th-minute Norwich equaliser and Ché Adams's 94th-minute Plymouth winner.
KEEP UP TO DATE
Not joining us in Preston? We’ve got you covered! We’ll bring you all the behind-the-scenes content alongside the in-game action as Saints head north.
Check out our interactive match centre at southamptonfc.com, with live streaming of the game, key updates and audio commentary of the match, and be sure to download the official Saints app and follow us on social media for further updates and exclusive content:
