Bielik, Krystian 
Osmajic, Milutin 
Aiming to extend their lead at the summit of the Championship table, high-flying Preston North End welcome Birmingham City to Deepdale on Tuesday.
Key Takeaways
- Preston have won each of their five Championship matches
- The Lilywhites boast the best defensive record in the division
- Birmingham have lost one of their six league games this term
Thanks to a 2-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, Preston are the only unbeaten team in the Championship after six matches. That said, Birmingham have also made a strong start to the season, suffering a solitary defeat in the league.
Preston North End Form
Ryan Lowe’s side find themselves one point clear of Leicester City and Ipswich Town at the top of the Championship standings, having taken 16 points from a possible 18 this season.
Following a 1-1 draw with Bristol City on the opening weekend, Preston have chalked up five consecutive league victories, scoring exactly two goals in four of those wins.
On top of that, the league leaders possess the best defensive record in the Championship, having conceded a measly four goals in six games, with two clean sheets coming in their last four outings.
Birmingham City Form
Like Preston, Birmingham City carried an unbeaten record into the previous round of fixtures, but John Eustace’s side ended up suffering a 2-0 loss against Watford, with the Hornets scoring twice in second-half stoppage time.
It is worth remembering, however, that Birmingham picked up three wins and two draws before losing to Watford. Having conceded just one goal more than Preston, Blues will be hopeful of frustrating the league leaders at Deepdale.
Head-to-Head
Preston have only managed to win one of their last four Championship meetings with Birmingham. When you look at the bigger picture, though, the Lilywhites have claimed five victories in their previous nine matches against Blues.
Team News
Ched Evans, Emil Riis and Will Keane remain on Preston’s injury list, while Siriki Dembele, George Hall, Ethan Laird and Tyler Roberts are sidelined for Birmingham.
The visitors will also be without Lee Buchanan on Tuesday after the England U21 left-back picked up a red card in the 2-0 loss against Watford last time out.
Key Players
Duane Holmes has been Preston’s standout performer this season, with the 28-year-old attacking midfielder bagging three goals and three assists in seven appearances.
As for Birmingham, Scott Hogan, Juninho Bacuna, Lukas Jutkiewicz and Jay Stansfield have all scored two goals this term, while Koji Miyoshi has chipped in with a goal and an assist.
Final Thoughts
Flying high at the Championship summit, Preston will be determined to preserve their unbeaten record on Tuesday. However, Birmingham will back themselves to halt Preston’s momentum, having lost just one of their six league outings this season.
Championship