Boss Jim Magilton says there will be plenty of clubs thinking that they will be in the running for promotion ahead of the opening Championship fixtures of 2008/09 season on Saturday. Town start their campaign with a home game against Preston North End.

Magilton outlined who he expects the Blues to have to better in order to win promotion in their first full season since Marcus Evans's takeover: "The three sides who came down will be there or thereabouts. If we finish ahead of Birmingham and Reading we will not be too far wrong.

"Bristol City will have no fear after last season, while Wolves and the two Sheffield clubs will be in contention.

"In fact, every team will go into Saturday's game feeling they have every chance of doing well. And every team will go into every game - whether home or away - expecting to win it.”

Town face Preston without striker Jon Walters, who is due back from the North-West on Monday after being given two weeks' compassionate leave while his wife gave birth to their second child.

New club captain Richard Naylor is not yet fully match fit after undergoing neck surgery over the summer, while David Norris has a heel injury.

Richard Wright, who wasn't at fault on any of West Ham's goals on Monday, will make his second Town debut in goal, but Jim Magilton has decisions to make regarding his back four.

Prior to Monday's game, the Blues boss looked set to give senior Town debuts to both Tommy Smith and Pim Balkestein, however, the manner and number of goals conceded during Monday's friendly may have led to a rethink.

Iván Campo doesn't sign until Monday, so is unavailable until the Carling Cup tie against Leyton Orient on Tuesday when the Town boss is likely to make further changes, but Magilton hinted earlier in the week that Alex Bruce could come into his plans for the game against Preston.

The Republic of Ireland international, who has been largely out of favour during pre-season, could take Smith's place and slot in alongside new first team captain Gareth McAuley at centre-half or alternatively could go to right-back with David Wright switching to the left side of defence in place of Balkestein.

In midfield, Walters's absence means Danny Haynes will start on the right with the move to sign Rudi Skácel falling through and Gary Roberts leaving for Huddersfield meaning Alan Quinn is pretty much Magilton's only option on the left at present.

Owen Garvan and Veliche Shumulikoski impressed in the first half against West Ham but were much less effective after the break, however, the pair are likely to continue in the central midfield berths.

Up front, new signing Kevin Lisbie looks set to partner Pablo Couñago, with Alan Lee likely to come off the bench at some stage. Jordan Rhodes will also be among the subs.

Preston boss Alan Irvine has received a blow with striker Chris Brown missing the trip to Portman Road due to various injuries: "Chris Brown is not going to be available. He's got a little bit of a problem that we are not quite getting to the bottom of but we will keep on working on Chris and hopefully he will be back soon.

"He came off with an ankle injury against Everton and that in itself would have kept him out for a short while. He's having a bit of a problem with his hip and a bit of a sciatic problem as a result of that and we are working on that to try and get it sorted out, but it is difficult to put a time on it.

"It is the kind of thing where you may well come in one day and say that you feel absolutely terrific, so we are always hopeful that he will be back. He hasn't been training with us so he is going to be missing out this weekend."

Irvine has added two new faces to his squad over the summer, midfielder Barry Nicholson from Aberdeen and former Sunderland man Ross Wallace, who has come in on loan for the season.

Wallace, who was sent off last time he was at Portman Road while playing for the Black Cats in 2006, is a player Irvine says he has been watching for some while: "I have been chasing Ross for a long time – it is a great signing.

"He's a left winger and straight away, when you look at our squad, you see that we only had one natural left-sided player in Lewis Neal."

Former Town keeper-coach Andy Rhodes will be back in the Portman Road dugouts having joined North End earlier in the week. Tommy Miller had a loan spell at Deepdale while a Sunderland player but no other current Blues has appeared for the Lilywhites.

The Blues enquired regarding the availability of Preston keeper Andrew Lonergan over the summer with West Ham stalling on the Richard Wright deal, while striker Neil Mellor, who won a contentious penalty in the corresponding fixture a year ago, was linked with Town on a regular basis during his time at Liverpool.

Historically, Town and Preston are well matched. Town have won eight games (seven in the league), Preston eight (seven), while six matches have ended in draws (six).

Last season, goals from Alan Lee and Tommy Miller, who always scores against his former loan club, gave the Blues a 2-1 victory at Portman Road, Mellor pulling a late goal back from the spot. In April, the sides met at Deepdale and played out a 2-2 draw, Tommy Miller, inevitably, and Jon Walters scoring for Town and Chris Brown and Mellor for the Lilywhites.

Issue 93 of TWTD is out prior to Saturday's game with star of 1992 - and of one of TWTD's most famous early covers – Chris Kiwomya interviewed. Roger Hermiston talks to Jim Magilton about his surprising basketball influence and Gavin Barber assesses the summer transfer speculation.

Our sellers will be around the ground from 1pm (by Sir Alf, next to the Portman Road entrance to the Greene King Stand and by Planet Blue) or you can buy a single copy or six-issue subscription here.

Saturday's referee is Paul Taylor from Hertfordshire, who last season showed 104 yellow and 10 red cards in 41 games. His most recent Town match was the Carling Cup defeat to the MK Dons a year ago, in which he awarded the Dons a highly dubious penalty in the last minute of extra-time.

Probable squad: R Wright, Supple, D Wright, Balkestein, Bruce, McAuley, Smith, Garvan, Shumulikoski, Miller, Haynes, Quinn, Trotter, Peters, Lisbie, Couñago, Lee, Rhodes.

Photo: Action Images

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