Preston North End vs Norwich City: Early team and injury news with six out, one doubt, and two back

Preston North End return to Championship action on Tuesday evening against Norwich City at Deepdale.

Last weekend, the Lilywhites defeated Coventry City, while the Canaries drew 1-1 at Stoke City. It’s now on to the midweek meeting in Lancashire, where Paul Heckingbottom’s team has risen to 15th in the table, while the visitors are 7th.

Here’s the latest team news from both camps before kickoff!

Keane will be out for a few more weeks, with Heckingbottom emphasizing the importance of not rushing the striker’s return. Patrick Bauer is also missing, having undergone elbow surgery after being struck at home by Fulham. Ched Evans, the player-coach who spent time on loan at Norwich in 2007/08, is also injured.

Doubt: Brad Potts Out: Will Keane, Ched Evans, and Patrick Bauer

Norwich City

Marcelino Nunez, an important midfielder for the Canaries, will be absent due to a hamstring injury sustained during the trip to Stoke. The Chilean suffered the same injury before the international break and will ‘definitely’ miss the next two matches. Anis Ben Slimane, Oscar Schwartau, or Amankwah Forson could all make an appearance.

Norwich manager Johannes Hoff Thorup stated, “The way that Nacho has been playing with his quality, with his confidence and his form, it’ll be difficult to replace him one-to-one. So, we have to choose one of the others and find the best possible role for him.

“We try to look at it in a different way, and see what do we have in terms of options at the moment, and to try to make a role that fits that as perfectly as possible for the player that we choose. That’s the way to look at it.”

Fellow midfielder Jacob Sorensen has also returned to fitness and travelled to Lancashire with the squad, but Thorup stated that he is not yet ready to play. The Canaries will also be without winger Christian Fassnacht due to an Achilles injury, and goalkeeper Angus Gunn is out with a side strain.

Out: Marcelino Nunez, Christian Fassnacht, and Angus Gunn.

In other news, Johannes Hoff Thorup provides a Norwich City transfer update as January approaches.