Preston North End manager Darren Ferguson has quite a few selection problems to ponder ahead of this evenings League Cup clash at Edgeley Park, as this weeks Internationals and injury problems have decimated his squad. North End make the relatively short journey to Stockport missing a few key defenders.
Ferguson is without Sean St Ledger and Wayne Brown as the pair are injured and Craig Morgan is away on International duty with Wales so he is likely to play a youngster alongside regular right back Billy Jones at Edgeley Park. Ferguson junior must decide which youngster out of the trio of Bailey Wright, Dominic Collins or Daniel Devine he will play alongside Jones.
18-year-old Bailey Wright was named as a substitute during Saturday's defeat against Doncaster Rovers and so he will probably be the player to get the nod to start the match. Whoever starts, all three are yet to make their first team debuts for Preston so hopefully the Hatters will be able to capitalise on any nerves and cause an upset this evening.
Manager Ferguson bemoaned a lack of finishing as they lost to Doncaster at the weekend and his attacking options have been boosted by the return of veteran striker Jon Parkin. The former Stoke City, Macclesfield Town and Hull City forward picked up a hamstring injury in pre-season but came through training unscathed yesterday and is back in contention for a place in the starting line up.
Winger Keith Treacy, a player familiar to Edgeley Park following his loan spell with the Hatters in 2007 from Blackburn Rovers, is away with the Republic of Ireland squad so he is unavailable.
Veteran striker Jon Parkin looks set to receive a recall to the starting line up after he has recovered from a hamstring strain picked up in pre-season.
County only have one injury problem ahead of the match which means that manager Paul Simpson could stick with the same side that drew 1-1 with Southend United at the weekend. Central defender Jordan Rose is currently sidelined through injury so Mansour Assoumani will once again partner Danny Swailes at the back.
Simpson was pleased with the performance by the players at the weekend although he could opt to make various changes across the midfield if he wanted to. David Poole, Greg Tansey, Paul Turnbull and Adam Griffin all got the nod to start at Roots Hall on Saturday although wingers Danny Pilkington, Danny Rowe and Ritchie Partridge and central midfielder James Vincent could all come into contention for this evenings clash.
LAST TIME OUT
Stockport: Fon Williams, Assoumani, Lynch, Williams (Vincent 81 mins), Swailes, Griffin, Turnbull, Poole, Tansey, Conlon (Rowe 81 mins), Donnelly
Subs not used: Pilkington, Halls, Fisher, Partridge, Ormson
Preston: Lonergan, Jones, Davidson, Morgan, Gray, Russell (Coutts 54 mins), Treacy, Mayor, James, Hayes (King 70 mins), Brown
Subs not used: Parry, Barton, Arestidou, McLaughlin,Wright