Town will again be without skipper Jon Walters and new goalkeeper Brian Murphy when they visit Preston on Saturday afternoon. Walters is out for a couple of weeks with a hamstring problem, while Murphy is still a week away from a return after injuring his ankle in the warm-up at Leicester.
Boss Roy Keane is unlikely to make too many changes to his side after Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at home to West Brom.
Arran Lee-Barrett will keep his place in goal with Liam Rosenior at right-back and Damien Delaney and Gareth McAuley at the heart of the defence.
Keane could choose to make a switch at left-back with David Wright OK after picking up a slight knock against the Baggies, although his replacement with Pim Balkestein was a more tactical move to combat the aerial presence of Ishmael Miller.
The Dutchman is less likely to get a start at left-back than Jaime Peters, who had done well in that role before being switched to the right midfield position on Tuesday. Keane may again choose to use the Canadian in that position and use Wright at left-back.
The Blues boss has also hinted that youngster Shane O'Connor is impressing him at left-back in the reserves having recently returned from a knee ligament injury.
In midfield, Jack Colback had a quiet game against West Brom and may be rested, allowing Owen Garvan to come into the side. Grant Leadbitter and David Norris are likely to continue in the centre with Peters on the right.
Up front, Keane was pleased with the Jon Stead-Pablo Couñago combination against the Baggies, although he was also impressed by Tamás Priskin’s performance from the bench. The match is Stern John’s last before his loan expires, with the Blues undecided whether to extend his spell. Connor Wickham is set to be involved with the U18s.
Keane says the midweek performance was an improvement on the FA Cup display at Southampton last Saturday: "I think we did a lot better the other night. Obviously we still only drew the game but in terms of the effort, the desire and the spirit of the players it was fantastic.
"We have to continue that. I think that with the players we have, and also myself, we have to be at it 100%, 95% won’t do us and I think that was where we were last weekend.
"I think I’m very lucky with the group of players I have. I thought they were outstanding, absolutely brilliant the other night and on another day we might have won it, but hopefully we’ll do that tomorrow.”
Preston skipper Callum Davidson has a head injury and manager Darren Ferguson, a one-time team-mate of Roy Keane’s at Manchester United, says he will definitely miss out: "He was knocked out so it's a mandatory 10 days that he will have to miss."
Ferguson has made the most of his Manchester United link by bringing in Danny Welbeck on loan and the striker is likely to make his debut against the Blues.
Winger Paul Parry is out with a knee injury, while midfielder Barry Nicholson has a broken leg.
Preston currently sit in 14th place in the Championship, three points ahead of Town in 18th. The Lilywhites’ home record stands at won four, drawn five and lost two.
Town, who have been defeated only once in their last 15 league games, have a poor record against Preston historically, winning eight games (seven in the league), drawing seven (seven) and losing 10 (nine).
Earlier in the season the game at Portman Road ended 1-1 with Ross Wallace — who played under Keane at Sunderland - netting for the Lilywhites and Jon Walters for the Blues. Callum Davidson was sent off just before the break.
At Deepdale in February, North End were again victorious, Davidson (pen), Jon Parkin and Stephen Elliott netting for the home side and Tommy Miller getting his usual couple of goals against his former loan club.
Midfielder Veliche Shumulikoski joined Preston from Town in the summer for a fee of around £400,000 and is the only current Lilywhite to have represented the Blues. The Macedonian hasn’t started a game since early November and has made only the occasional sub appearances since.
Tamás Priskin spent March and early April 2008 on loan at Deepdale when a Watford player, scoring two goals in four starts and one sub appearance.
Saturday’s referee is Jonathan Moss from West Yorkshire, who has shown 76 yellow and six red cards in 23 games so far this season. His last Town game was the 2-2 home draw with Swansea last season in which he yellow-carded Ivan Campo, Jon Stead, Richard Naylor and two Swans players.
Squad from: Lee-Barrett, McLoughlin, Rosenior, D Wright, Peters, O'Connor, Delaney, McAuley, Balkestein, Bruce, Leadbitter, Norris, Garvan, Colback, Quinn, Edwards, Martin, Stead, Couñago, Priskin, John.