Blackpool can welcome back Dominic Thompson and Marvin Ekpiteta against Preston North End but Shayne Lavery will be missing.
Here we go again – it’s derby time.
There must be something about this weekend in the EFL calendar.
This time a year ago, PNE were gearing up to face Blackpool at Bloomfield Road and it’s exactly the same again now.
North End lost that game 2-0 in a truly dismal performance and everybody involved that day will know that more is expected now.
PNE at least head into the game off the back of a win having beaten Huddersfield Town 1-0 in midweek.
Blackpool had no such luck, losing 3-1 at home to managerless Hull City on Wednesday night.
The Seasiders had gone three games unbeaten before that loss, including points away at Sunderland and Sheffield United as well as a 3-1 home win over Watford.
That shows that Blackpool cannot be taken lightly here, even with boss Michael Appleton facing some problems.
Blackpool picked up not one, not two but three red cards against Sheffield United last weekend.
Marvin Ekpiteta, Dominic Thompson and Shayne Lavery were all giving their marching orders at Bramall Lane.
Only one of them will miss the PNE clash though with Lavery serving a three-match ban.
Blackpool did appeal against Lavery’s ban in the hope of having him available to face North End, but that appeal was shot down.
Ekpiteta and Thompson will be back in contention having served their one-game bans against Hull on Wednesday.
A host of other names are missing for Blackpool though with Keshi Anderson, Jake Beesley, Lewis Fiorini, Jordan Gabriel and Kevin Stewart all out.
North End will hope these absences can aid them at Bloomfield Road but the Tangerines thrived on the atmosphere last year and PNE can’t take his one easily.