Midfielder Gavin Williams returns to the squad for the first time since late January as the Blues travel to take on Preston North End at Deepdale. The Blues are without the suspended Alan Lee, but Jon Walters is back in the squad after missing the Southend game with a hamstring problem.

Williams looks unlikely to be given an immediate recall having gone five weeks without a game. However, the former West Ham man could well play some part from the bench.

Boss Jim Magilton's selection up front will depend on Walters's fitness. If the former Chester man is considered OK, he will probably start either as a lone striker or alongside Danny Haynes. If not, Haynes could get the nod on his own, loanee Franny Jeffers having limped off with a hamstring injury at the weekend.

Magilton could look to make changes in midfield with George O'Callaghan pushing for a recall if a five-man midfield is employed, while Matt Richards could be brought back in place of Gary Roberts on the left.

Despite Fabian Wilnis's return from a hamstring problem, Magilton is likely to stick with his back four of Dan Harding, Jason De Vos, Alex Bruce and David Wright ahead of Lewis Price in goal. Richard Naylor (toe) and Chris Casement (ankle) remain on the sidelines.

Magilton says his side will have to defend better than they did against Southend to avoid falling to a second successive defeat, a result which says was a blow to his squad: “We are all down. We have got to go to Preston and step up. If we defend like we did against Southend we will get beaten again.”

Preston's main injury concern is over star striker David Nugent who received a kick to the back at Hull over the weekend, although manager Paul Simpson, who played alongside Jim Magilton at Oxford, says other unnamed members of his squad are also doubts: "David Nugent has shown a real big improvement over the last few days. When he got off the coach on Saturday night he was in a bad way. Sunday morning when we all came in he was a little bit better and today he is a little better again.

"We have got two or three players who are struggling with little niggly knocks so we will leave it as later as we possibly can before we make decision as to whether they are going to be fit enough to take part in the game."

North End are already without midfielder Paul McKenna due to a hernia problem, winger Simon Whaley, who has an injured foot, defender Youl Mawene with a knee problem and midfield duo Joe Anyinsah and Lewis Neal with cartilage and neck injuries respectively.

Tuesday's referee is Premiership official Mark Clattenburg from Tyne and Wear who has shown a sizeable 125 yellow and three red cards in 33 games so far this season. His last Town game was the 3-1 defeat to Norwich City at Carrow Road in March 2004 when he red-carded Drissa Diallo, but awarded the Blues a penalty.

Squad: Bruce, Clarke, De Vos, Garvan, Harding, Haynes, Legwinski, O'Callaghan, Peters, Price, Richards, Roberts, Sito, Supple, Walters, Williams, Wilnis, Wright.

Photo: Action Images

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