Striker Jordan Rhodes is targeting a place in the Town first team next season. The 19-year-old is currently on a highly successful loan spell at League Two Brentford.

Rhodes told the club site: "There are some top class strikers here, experienced players and the manager and coaching staff felt it would be better for me to go and play first team football lower down than play in the reserves here.

"It's all good experience for me and part of my education in the game and I feel I am learning all the time. You get so much more out of it than reserve team football.

"I'm really enjoying my time at Brentford and feel I'm adding to my game, but I definitely see my future at Ipswich.

"I'm training here two days a week and I know the manager is monitoring my form at Brentford. He said 'Carry on for another two months and carry on scoring goals, then you'll be back here,' but he wanted the 24-hour recall option.

"I have two more years left on my contract here after this season and my aim is to do my best at Brentford and then come back to Portman Road for the end of the season, get a good pre-season in me and then hopefully look to really kick on at the start of next year and push for a place."

The academy product has scored six goals in eight games with the Bees and earlier in the season netted on two occasions in five matches for Rochdale.

Meanwhile, Preston are hopeful that striker Neil Mellor, midfielder Barry Nicholson and defenders Callum Davidson and Andrew Davies, a loanee from Stoke, will all be fit to face the Blues at Deepdale on Saturday.

Mellor and Davidson have been out for some weeks, while Nicholson and Davies sustained knocks in last week's 3-1 defeat at Southampton.

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