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With nine defeats from 21 Championship fixtures, it is difficult to say that Blackburn have enjoyed an ideal season thus far, yet Jon Dahl Tomasson will be more than satisfied with his team’s efforts.
Prevailing in the other 12 matches left Rovers in third spot before the World Cup break, five points adrift of the leaders and the same amount clear of seventh position.
Losing 3-0 to rivals and frontrunners Burnley last time out came as a blow, particularly the manner of the setback as the Clarets stormed to victory in the second half at Turf Moor.
Nevertheless, Tomasson will be prepared to look at the bigger picture, aware that Rovers can cement their top-six spot with success at the weekend.
Blackburn played Hearts and Ajax in friendlies last weekend, recording 4-0 and 2-0 triumphs over the Scottish and Dutch outfits.
Tomasson will likely revert back to a defensive four after a back three failed to work out against Burnley.
Sammie Szmodics should return in midfield, while Harry Pickering is in line to return at left-back with Callum Brittain switching flanks.
While Sam Gallagher and Jack Vale are both injury doubts, one of the players are in line to lead the attack.
Troy Parrott remains sidelined for Preston as he continues his recovery from the hamstring injury sustained on October 8.
Lowe is unlikely to make major changes from last time out, although Alvaro Fernandez and Ben Woodburn are in contention for recalls.
Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Kaminski; Brittain, Hyam, Ayala, Pickering; Morton, Travis; Hedges, Szmodics, Brereton; Gallagher
Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts, Ledson, Browne, Brady; McCann; Evans, Riis Jakobsen
After a month out of action, Blackburn and Preston make their Championship returns in a Lancashire derby and both sets of supporters will be desperate to get their 2022-23 campaign back up and running with a victory over their local rivals.
Both have realistic promotion ambitions, with Blackburn going into the World Cup break in third position and Preston ninth but level on points with the play-off places.
However, Rovers fans will be hoping that a combination of home advantage, their encouraging pre-break form and a proud recent record in this derby will come together to get part two of their Championship campaign off to a flying start.
Team news
Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson is without left-sided defender Harry Pickering, who picked up an injury after Rovers’ warm weather training match against Ajax, and 21-year-old striker Jake Vale, who has a calf problem that will rule him out for a couple of weeks.
Youngsters Jake Batty and Sam Barnes are long-term absentees with ankle and knee injuries, respectively.
Preston manager Ryan Lowe expects to have key midfielder Ben Whiteman back from a thigh injury he picked up at the start of November.
However, striker Troy Parrott remains out with a hamstring injury that has sidelined the Tottenham loanee since early October.
In the week that the Bulls lost their most famous ex-player, FA Cup legend Ronnie Radford – 50 years on from his iconic match-winning goal against Newcastle – it briefly looked like there might be some left-over magic in the air.
For seven minutes, the sixth-tier outfit led after Miles Storey’s goal against the team 81 places above them in the English football pyramid in League One.
But Pompey hit back, with Reeco Hackett quickly levelling before second-half goals from Colby Bishop and substitute Joe Pigott earned the twice FA Cup winners a safe passage to Monday’s second-round draw
Making their first trip to Edgar Street in 38 years, Pompey were given a good first-half workout by the fired-up hosts.
Although home keeper Dale Eve had to keep out Hackett’s left-foot curler bound for the top corner, Pompey had a first real scare when Bishop’s challenge on Hereford’s former million-pound marksman Tyrone Barnett in the visitors’ penalty box went unpunished.
And there was worse to follow for Pompey when Hereford took the lead on 26 minutes.
Sean Raggett played a loose pass inside to Hackett, who was immediately closed down and robbed by Storey – and the former Pompey player raced away down the inside-left channel before keeping his cool to nutmeg on-loan West Bromwich Albion keeper Josh Griffiths.
Fittingly, just two days on from the announcement of the sad passing of Hereford’s legendary number 11, their modern-day number 11 emulated his predecessor.
There had already been a minute’s silence, which cascaded into applause from the whole ground, followed by chants of ‘there’s only one Ronnie Radford’ when the clock showed 11 minutes.
But this goal was destined not to prove so famous.
Ronan Curtis headed down Connor Ogilvie’s far-post cross for Hackett to bring down and fire home coolly from six yards.
On 63 minutes, Portsmouth took the lead when, from Clark Robertson’s in-swinging right-foot corner from the left, Bishop timed his run to get there first and head his 10th goal of the season.
And Pigott wrapped up victory 10 minutes from time when, again from a corner by skipper Robertson, Bishop won the initial header before Pigott reacted sharpest to sidefoot home
Hereford FC boss Josh Gowling told BBC Sport:
“I’m really disappointed because we should have got something out of it, but goals change games – and the quality of the delivery they have changes games.
“In the first half we were excellent. We were in the ascendancy and they looked nervous.
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“We were on top and looked like we could go on and win, but we’ve made one mistake, it has cost us a goal and that’s the difference in levels.
“We’ve given them a leg up and a little lift and you could see their performance raise after that.”
Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley told BBC Sport:
“I was so sad to hear the news about Ronnie Radford. He was such an iconic figure and he had that iconic moment. For a lot of people my age, his famous goal was their first memories of the FA Cup. But what a brilliant night to celebrate his life