Preston North End welcome Cardiff City to Deepdale on Saturday afternoon knowing that they must bring to an end their dismal run of form or find themselves deeper into the relegation zone.
Cardiff travel to the North-West on the back of a draw against league leaders Brighton & Hove Albion, but boss Russell Slade will be aware that only three points will be enough to satisfy the demands of the club's supporters.
Preston North End
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Throughout August, manager Simon Grayson must have thought that his squad had quickly adapted to the rigours of Championship football after starting the campaign by avoiding defeat in three games.
North End also beat Premier League Watford in the Capital One Cup to suggest that they could continue to rack up points in the league, but since that triumph, things have turned sour for last season's League One playoff winners.
They have now failed to record maximum points in their last eight matches, with just three points being collected during that period, and while they can claim to have been unlucky during certain moments, their points tally will be a cause for concern.
It remains to be seen how much the 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers has taken out of them mentally. Preston led for the majority of the game, while also having to contend with dismissals in the 19th and 81st minutes, but a last-gasp equaliser from Kevin McDonald saw two points taken away from them.
They have had two weeks to regroup and reflect after the 3-1 setback at Sheffield Wednesday, but they need to come out with a statement of intent against their opponents this weekend, with the club one of three teams yet to win at home this season.
Recent form: LLDLDL
Recent form (all competitions): LDLLDL
Cardiff City
Attendances at the Cardiff City Stadium may have slumped in recent times, while the club's performances continue to attract criticism, but it is difficult to argue that their points return over the course of the past 10 games is not respectable at the very least.
Cardiff ended last season in 11th position, which was disappointing on their return to the second tier, but the Bluebirds currently sit in eighth place with 16 points to their name.
Slade has only suffered two defeats in the league, too, which came in the space of four days against Hull City and Rotherham United, and the former Leyton Orient chief will instead opt to focus on their last two results.
The Welsh club came from behind to edge out Charlton Athletic to make it 10 points from five outings in front of their own supporters, before they went into the international break having become the first team to deny unbeaten leaders Brighton & Hove Albion victory on the South Coast.
Slade will feel as though he still has much to prove as the club look to make further inroads up the standings, but he will also be aware that he cannot afford to suffer setbacks against Preston and Bristol City, whom they play on October 26.
Failure against the division's bottom two sides would not result in Slade losing his role in the dugout, but it would heap further pressure on his shoulders as he attempts to win over the club's supporters.
Recent form: WWLLWD
Team News
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Preston forward Joe Garner will sit out the second match of a three-game suspension, but Bailey Wright returns after serving a one-match ban.
The Australian international could replace on-loan Paddy McCarthy, who suffered a knee injury 10 minutes into his debut at Hillsborough two weeks ago.
Defensive duo Paul Huntington and Calum Woods will be given more time to prove their fitness after hamstring and calf problems respectively.
As for Cardiff, Craig Noone could potentially replace Anthony Pilkington, while Sammy Ameobi is also pushing for a starting role.
Goalkeeper David Marshall should return after spending two fixtures on the sidelines after his sending-off against Rotherham United last month.
However, the match comes too soon for striker Idriss Saadi to feature on the bench as he continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.
Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Pickford, Woods, Clarke, Wright, Cunningham, Johnson, Browne, Welsh, Reach, Keane, May
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Marshall, Fabio, Morrison, Connolly, Malone, Noone, Dikgacoi, Whittingham, Ralls, Jones, Mason
Head To Head
The two teams have met 86 times, with Preston holding 32 victories compared to 31 for Cardiff.
It has been over four years since their last match, though, which Cardiff won 1-0 at Deepdale in April 2011.
However, over the past decade, Preston have generally gotten the better of Cardiff in front of their home supporters, registering four successes from half-a-dozen attempts.
We say: Preston North End 1-1 Cardiff City
Preston may have struggled for points since the opening three weeks of the season, but we believe that they will add another to their tally this weekend. They may find it difficult to grind out a win against a team who have lost just twice all season, but another point would be a step in the right direction.
Darren Plant
