Preston North End

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Preston North End striker Milutin Osmajic marked his return to the squad with a goal into the top corner during their 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on New Year's Day.

The Montenegro international was banned for nine games in November after being charged with racially abusing Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri.

The game against the Owls was his first since their 2-1 win over Swansea City, where he also found the net.

"That tends to be his stock finish," Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"He knows where the goal is. It's not always the best option, sometimes a bit of guile is the best way to go but certainly, a lot of the goals he scores which maybe others wouldn't, are that type of finish.

"It's instinctive. When he hits it, it stays hit."

Winger Lewis Dobbin also made his comeback at Deepdale, with Heckingbottom stressing the importance of having his attacking options back in the mix as the side aim for promotion this season.

"I know Wednesday tried but that's one advantage we have in terms of squad size when we've got people fit," the 48-year-old added.

"The biggest thing for me is having those attacking options at the top end of the pitch which is really important.

"Whoever we start with, being able to bring on energy, aggression and quality at the top end of the pitch whether you're winning or losing is a big thing.

"To have those two back added to what we had up there was good."

Preston are sixth in the Championship table, four points behind the automatic promotion places.

Listen to Heckingbottom's full post-match interview and more Preston North End content on BBC Sounds.

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Everton have recalled midfielder Harrison Armstrong from his loan spell at Preston North End.

The 18-year-old made 13 starts in the Championship after joining Paul Heckingbottom's side on transfer deadline day in the summer.

He now links back up with David Moyes' squad and will be available for Sunday's Premier League game against Brentford at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The midfielder made his Premier League debut earlier in the season against Brighton.

Armstrong joined Everton's academy at the age of five and made his senior debut for the club against Tottenham in August 2024.

He has continued his development through regular first-team football away from the Toffees, including a loan spell with Derby County during the 2024-25 season.

Can Sheffield Wednesday put a tough year behind them to start afresh with a much needed win?

The side have not experienced victory since beating Portsmouth 2-0 in September and will be hoping to claim just their second the season as they visit Preston North End on New Year's Day (15:00 GMT).

But while Wednesday are deep into bottom of the table, North End are just one point outside the top six and eager to end a three match winless streak before they start falling off the pace.

• Preston North End came from behind to beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 back in November and will be aiming to complete a league double over the Owls for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won on only two of their last 25 away league trips to face Preston North End (D10 L13), winning 2-0 on New Year's Eve 2011 and 1-0 on 29 December 2023.

• Preston North End have lost 10 of their last 13 New Year's Day fixtures (W3), last winning on January 1st at home to Port Vale in League One in 2014 under Simon Grayson.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won their first league fixture in each of the last three calendar years, scoring at least three times in each win – the Owls last started four consecutive years with victories between 2001 and 2004.

• Preston North End's Michael Smith has been directly involved in five goals across his last five Football League appearances on New Year's Day (4 goals, 1 assist), assisting for Sheffield Wednesday against Derby last year. That run started with a goal vs PNE for Rotherham in 2019.

Preston assistant boss Stuart McCall praised his side's defensive steel as they earned a goalless draw away to fellow play-off contenders Stoke City.

"A really hard-fought, well-deserved point at a really difficult place," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We defended a lot against corners, throw-ins and free-kicks, and I thought we stood up to that well. Happy defensively, would have liked to have done better offensively.

"They're a little bit disappointed, but we said to the lads that any point away from home you've got to accept.

"We are drawing a lot of games again this season, not that we came to sit in - we got pushed back. Going forward, we didn't pick the right options at times."

Preston North End head coach Paul Heckingbottom said he will stay in discussion with Everton boss David Moyes about the possibility of keeping hold of midfielder Harrison Armstrong.

Armstrong has made 15 Championship appearances for the Lilywhites this season, starting in 11 of those games and scoring one goal.

The England Under-18 international initially joined on a season-long loan in the summer but Heckingbottom is hopeful that the Premier League side will not recall him.

"We'll wait and see. I spoke to David [Moyes] about it last week," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"I'm really respectful that Harrison is Everton's player. I'm really grateful that we managed to get him, and David is really respectful, obviously, of this football club.

"He knows I'll look after him and he'll be in a better place having been here, but he (Moyes) knows he can't leave himself exposed with the tough job he's got in the Premier League.

"We'll keep communicating about it and see where it ends up."

Heckingbottom serves the last of a three-game touchline ban by the FA after being found guilty of misconduct when he takes his side to Stoke City on Friday (15:00) and discussed his suspension from the sidelines.

"I don't enjoy it. I've had a belting one this time, I've never heard it before. So, I can't go in the dressing room before the game - half an hour before or half-time or half an hour after - which I've never heard of before.

"In Scotland you get banned from the dressing room, but down here it's usually you can't go touchline side but you can be in the dressing room and be in a half-time.

"We're still talking during the game and if there's things I think I want to say I'll say them over the screen and then the staff have got their usual roles when they're following up and picking out the individual bits for key players.

"It's me that doesn't like it. I'd love to be on the sideline. It's the same game, it's just worse up there."

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Stoke City welcome Preston North End for a clash between two sides battling for the play-offs on Friday afternoon (15:00 GMT kick-off).

The Potters have won just one of their past five (L4) and are two points behind the top-six.

The Lilywhites are unbeaten in their past six games (W2 D4) and have only lost one of their previous 11.

• Stoke have won just one of their past 12 home league games against Preston (D6 L5) and are winless in all seven since relegation from the Premier League in 2018 (D2 L5).

• The away team is unbeaten in the previous 11 league meetings between Stoke and Preston (D4 L7), since the Lilywhites' 3-1 home win in August 2019.

• Stoke lost 2-0 against Leeds on Boxing Day last year, last losing consecutive Boxing Day league games in 2008/2009.

• Preston have won three of their past four Boxing Day league games (L1), as many as they had in their previous 16 (D7 L6).

• Stoke's Mark Robins won his first three Football League matches against Preston – since then, he's winless in all 13 against the Lilywhites (D5 L8)

Will Keane says his late call-up and last-gasp goal in his first Preston North End appearance since April was "meant to be".

The 32-year-old forward had missed 24 Championship games since limping off with a calf injury against QPR in April but was a late call-up to the squad for Saturday's game with Norwich at Deepdale.

After being sent on 12 minutes from time by Paul Heckingbottom, Keane snatched a point in the sixth minute of added time.

"It's been really challenging," Keane told BBC Radio Lancashire. "I think the main frustration was it was only meant to be a couple of months, then I had a couple of reoccurrences that makes it more frustrating.

"If you know you're going to be out for a long period you can kind of get your head round it.

"It's been tough but I've been through it before. The biggest challenge mentally is keeping that belief you're going to get back and trying to keep positive.

"Keeping spirits high has paid off, I'm really pleased to help the team."

Keane revealed he was only added to the squad after Daniel Jebbison's late withdrawal.

"I wasn't meant to be in the squad, I was doing some fitness work at the training ground in the morning," he added. "As soon as I got the nod I felt like it was meant to be in a way, it proved to be the case.

"I had got to keep doing do the right things and keep ready, I've done that and I got the rewards.

"When you're on the sidelines and see the team doing well you're itching to be a part of it and contribute so it was nice to do that."

Preston are fifth ahead of a trip to eighth-placed Stoke, three points back, on Friday (15:00 GMT) and Keane thinks North End are a different proposition from the one which narrowly avoided relegation last season.

"In previous years games like Saturday might have slipped away from us," he said. "The togetherness we have got in the group this year has shown several times.

"Our away form has been much better this year, we are confident going on the road and hopefully we can put in another good performance."

Preston assistant manager Stuart McCall, standing in for suspended Paul Heckingbottom, was pleased for two returning players after his team's late equaliser rescued a point against Norwich City.

McCall told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Naturally, [the late goal] was emotionally very good, especially for the lads involved in the goal. Both Will [Keane] and Pottsy [Brad Potts] have been out for a long, long time so I'm delighted for both of those lads.

"It was the three subs that combined - Andy [Vukcevic] crossed it, Pottsy won a great header and Keano, being in the box, and with no pace on the cross, got in a really good header.

"It's not a game we deserved to lose. It was a tight game on a really difficult surface with not a lot of chances at both ends.

"We've seen since Phil [Clement]'s been in at Norwich they have improved dramatically, so we take the point. One good thing about the lads is that they never know when they're beaten."

Preston will look at how they can "get better" when the January transfer window opens, says boss Paul Heckingbottom.

The Lilywhites have been one of the Championship's surprise packages this season and are in third place ahead of Saturday's home match against Norwich City (12:30 GMT).

"Every window as a club you should be trying to improve," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"I've tried to be clear with everyone where I think we can get that strategic advantage without losing what we do really well - how do we add to it and get better?

"You're looking towards what that outcome is and trying to make decisions based on that, not reacting to the last result or someone getting injured or coming back."

Preston will have defender Liam Lindsay back from suspension for the game against Norwich while midfielder Ali McCann could also return having been out since late October with a broken arm.

Northern Ireland defender Jamal Lewis remains sidelined because of a hamstring injury with his short-term contract due to expire at the end of the month.

You can hear more Preston North End coverage on BBC Sounds.

23rd placed Norwich City will look to defy the odds and make the ascent up the table under new boss Philippe Clement as they visit third placed Preston North End.

The Canaries have only lost two of their six games under Clement (W2 D2) compared to five defeats in their previous six under former boss Liam Manning.

It's put them within striking distance of safety but North End have one of the toughest defences in the Championship and have not conceded a loss in five games (W2 D3).

With Stoke City lingering just outside the top six, the Lilywhites will need to ensure they extend that run into a sixth game to ensure they stay within the play-off spots.

• Preston won 1-0 in their last league game against Norwich in February, last winning back-to-back meetings with the Canaries in April 2006.

• Norwich have lost just one of their last eight away league games against Preston (W4 D3), and are unbeaten in four since a 3-1 loss in February 2019.

• Since losing their final two home matches in the Championship last season, Preston North End have only lost two of their 11 league games at Deepdale this term (W5 D4 L2).

• After beating Southampton last time out, Norwich will be aiming to win consecutive league matches for the first time since February (5-1 v Swansea and 1-0 v Watford).

• Preston North End striker Daniel Jebbison has scored five goals in his last seven Championship starts, after only netting once in his first 11 starts in the competition (for Sheffield United v Hull City in January 2023).

"Massive credit to two clubs who certainly I didn't have on the list of being in the top six come the end of this season, making a really good go of it.

"It has just epitomised the league. There's just an openness to it and some of those clubs we didn't expect to see there, it's just great.

"It keeps it interesting, it's still wide open for those play-off places."

What's making Preston North End and Hull City surprise play-off contenders in the Championship?

The 72+ team are joined by new Bristol Rovers boss Steve Evans and Barnsley boxer Callum Simpson to dissect the surprise successes in the Championship so far, plus how the Tykes are faring in League One and how Evans feels about replacing pal Darrell Clarke at the Gas in League Two.

Listen to the full episode of 72+ on BBC Sounds.

Preston assistant manager Stuart McCall stood in for the suspended Paul Heckingbottom post-match, following their 2-1 win at Oxford, and he told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"The result was better than the performance. It was a great win, patchy performance.

"All the big teams who have come here have found it difficult. Stoke won here but other than that, they beat Ipswich and Boro, and Leicester drew, so it's a difficult place to come.

"You know what you'll be up against - balls in your box, set-pieces, long throws from 40 yards from your goal - so you have to stand up and be counted.

"The second goal was really nice, and that's the football we can play.

"Today, out of any game, we probably needed [the suspended] Liam Lindsay more than any game, with all the balls coming into the box.

"So with the centre-halves, and Dan [Iversen] coming and collecting it I thought we did quite well defensively."

Preston North End's Thierry Small says it's his and his team-mates' duty to "get people off their seats" when playing for the club.

The 21-year-old, who has started the past three games for North End as a wing-back, says he enjoys playing in the position and how it excites the fans when he gets up the pitch.

"As players we're playing for the fans, we're trying to get people off their seats and try and put performances in so that they can enjoy coming to watch us," he said.

"They spend their hard-earned money to come and watch us, so ultimately we should be trying our best to give them a show and a performance.

"Wing-back is a very demanding position, because you have to attack a lot and defend a lot, be good one-v-one and have an engine on you.

"It's a position that I really enjoy playing, it suits my qualities as a player to a tee, able to get up and down the pitch to affect the game in different ways."

Small is set to start again in Saturday's 12:30 GMT kick-off at Oxford.

The Lilywhites have notched up eight draws so far this season, including in their past two outings, and Small says they need to start winning if they are to stay in the hunt for a play-off place.

"We've got a few draws and now we need to starting turning a few more into wins.

"We need to stay in and around the play-offs as much as we can and really go for a final push when it comes into the latter end of the season, but we have to focus game by game."