Brentford face Preston North End on Saturday knowing that victory might pull them away from the Championship relegation battle.

However, they face a Preston side who picked up another draw against Bristol City on Tuesday and will hope to add to their three clean sheets so far this season.

Brentford

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After the Bees suffered a 3-1 defeat at Middlesbrough, Aitor Karanka was quick to praise the London club, saying that "the table is not a reflection on them and everyone could see they are a good side".

However, Brentford find themselves just above the drop zone in the Championship, only months after Boro knocked them out of the playoff semi-finals.

Admittedly there have been plenty of upheavals during the summer, with Marinus Dijkhuizen becoming head coach in place of Mark Warburton, who was instrumental in bringing Brentford back to the second tier after a 21-year wait.

Injuries have also played their part, with the likes of Josh McEachran, Scott Hogan, Marcos Tebar and Lewis Macleod among the list of absentees.

Moses Odubajo, Jonathan Douglas and Stuart Dallas, all of whom featured heavily in the Bees' march to the playoffs, have since departed, while Andre Gray was sold for a club-record fee to Burnley.

Strangely, Brentford's attacking record is far from the worst in the division. Indeed, the Bees have scored more than Nottingham Forest, who are only a point outside the playoff spots.

However, their defensive stats are among the poorest in the Championship, having conceded 12 in six games. Only Bristol City and Rotherham United, both of whom are in the bottom three, boast inferior records.

Recent form: DWLLDL
Recent form (all competitions): LWLLDL

Preston North End

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At the start of September, Preston boss Simon Grayson declared himself "pleased" with his team's start to life in the Championship, but admitted that North End had "got a lot of work to do".

Since then, the Lilywhites have lost to Derby County and drawn with Bristol City, but their lack of wins may be down to something other than merely poor results.

The Lancashire club have scored only four times in seven outings, with only Bolton Wanderers having scored fewer so far this term.

Furthermore, last season's top scorer in League One, Joe Garner, has failed to find the back of the net, while Jermaine Beckford is expected to be out for a lengthy period of time.

Grayson has recruited Eoin Doyle from Cardiff City, while Stevie May has joined from Sheffield Wednesday as the club looked to bolster their attacking options.

However, their defensive record is the 11th best in the division and could be down to the performances of Jordan Pickford, who has shown why North End can function without former Manchester United loanee Sam Johnstone.

Recent form: DLWLLD

Team News

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The Bees could again be without midfielder Andy Gogia, who has missed the last two games, while the club's extensive injury list meant that they could only list six substitutes against Middlesbrough, which could mean that the Londoners have little choice but to retain the same team.

However, if Brentford do decide to shake up their starting lineup then Liverpool loanee Sergi Canos and Ryan Woods could come into contention for a place.

Meanwhile, Grayson's biggest dilemma will be whether to retain Garner or put Doyle up front with May, who featured against Bristol City.

Preston could also look to recall Dutchman Marnick Vermijl, having left him on the bench against the Robins.

Brentford possible starting lineup:
Button, Colin, Barbet, Dean, Bidwell, Diagouraga, McCormack, Kerschbaumer, Vibe, Djuricin, Judge

Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Clarke, Wright, Huntington, Cunningham; Humphrey, Kilkenny, Welsh, Johnson; May, Doyle

Head To Head

Curiously, both sides have won their fair share of previous encounters between the two (18 victories apiece, with 12 draws).

However, recent meetings between the teams have very much gone the way of the Bees, who have won four of the last five matches.

Preston's last win over Brentford came at Griffin Park in September 2011 after a brace from ex-Liverpool forward Neil Mellor wrapped up a 3-1 triumph.

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We say: Brentford 1-1 Preston

Brentford's form has been less than impressive under Dijkhuizen, while Preston's struggles in front of goal so far this term could mean that this game is far from a spectacle. With both teams finding it difficult to put together good results, what price another draw?

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