Preston North End will not have a meeting with Ben Pearson this weekend after the Stoke City midfielder was sent off on Tuesday night.
PNE’s full focus will be on tonight’s trip to Southampton.
Hull City’s draw with Birmingham City means PNE can close the gap to the play-off places with a victory on Wednesday night.
Beating the promotion-chasing Saints won’t be easy though and many would probably take a point on the South Coast.
North End will be back at home this weekend, taking on Stoke City.
This could have been a return to Deepdale for Ben Pearson, but that won’t be happening now…
Ben Pearson sent off ahead of Preston North End clash
Stoke travelled to Elland Road on Tuesday night, taking on Leeds United.
One former PNE player was in the Stoke starting XI as goalkeeper Daniel Iversen featured between the sticks.
Another was on the bench in Pearson, and he did come on after the break.
However, Pearson picked up a yellow card and was then given his marching orders for bumping Daniel James to the ground during a counter-attack.
Pearson protested his innocence and suggested that it was just a shoulder barge, but his second yellow means he will now miss a return to Deepdale.
That is 13 yellow cards and one red card for the season now with Pearson continuing to get himself in the referee’s notebook.
PNE fans saw Pearson pick up plenty of yellow and red cards during his time as a North End player, but it almost seemed to make some fans love him more.
Stoke fans don’t appear to feel the same way but his absence this weekend is still a blow for the Potters, who need points to avoid the drop.
Steven Schumacher may have been hoping for Pearson to have a big game back at Deepdale this weekend as he takes on his old best friend Ryan Lowe.
That has now been ruled out and North End fans will be glad to not be on the receiving end of Pearson’s antics having basked in them during his five-year spell as a PNE favourite.