Preston North End travel down to take on Bournemouth on Wednesday, which means a meeting with Cherries midfielder Ben Pearson.
Pearson left Deepdale in January, completing a cut-price move to the Vitality Stadium inside the final six months of his Preston contract.
The 26-year-old featured against North End in March, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw.
Pearson may have been a hero at Preston, but hasn’t been a nailed-on starter for Bournemouth this season.
In Saturday’s 2-0 win over Reading, Pearson came off the bench at half time. That may mean he starts against Preston tomorrow night, going head to head with Ali McCann.
Ryan Ledson offers the bite that Pearson brought, but not the athleticism, the mobility to get around the park with Pearson’s tenacity.
Ben Whiteman is more of a deep-lying playmaker, meaning Preston went out to sign another midfielder in McCann.
In McCann’s last two starts, coming against Liverpool and Luton Town, he has brought the tenacity that made Pearson a Preston favourite.
Against Luton, McCann recorded five tackles, three interceptions and even won a penalty in the 2-0 win.
This is exactly what North End wanted from McCann, who must now continue to show that he can replace Pearson’s influence – this time against Pearson himself.
It’s far too early to suggest that McCann is better than Pearson, but you can see major potential in the Northern Irishman.
This midfield battle should be a great one to watch, and McCann has a chance to lay down an early marker at Preston by shining against Pearson.