Preston defender Josh Earl finds himself in a tricky situation after Ryan Lowe confirmed his absence against Reading had nothing to do with an injury.
North End were seeking an elusive home win having gone two months without a victory at Deepdale.
Playing a Reading side with no wins since November seemed perfect, but Preston turned in a dismal performance.
Lucas Joao’s first-half brace had Reading 2-0 up before John Swift wrapped the game up with a third.
Daniel Johnson and Cameron Archer found the net to give Preston hope, but there was to be no miraculous fightback.
Scott Sinclair started the game in an unfamiliar left wing back role as there was no sign of Earl in the squad.
Some wondered if there was an injury involved, especially with the likes of Bambo Diaby, Joe Rafferty and Liam Lindsay all on the bench.
However, manager Lowe has confirmed to Lancs Live’s Jake Oates that Earl’s omission was purely tactical and no injury is involved at all.
With Greg Cunningham out injured, this doesn’t bode particularly well for Earl’s chances under Lowe.
Earl started the season pretty well but has faded in recent months, with his dallying in the final third frustrating fans.
Earl is big, quick and strong but doesn’t seem to quite have the confidence to take on defenders, often meaning he slows down attacks by coming inside.
That doesn’t quite mesh with what Lowe is seeking and has ultimately led to Earl being left out of the squad entirely.
This isn’t the end for Earl; Lowe has even admitted that he wanted to sign Earl for Plymouth Argyle, viewing him as a left-sided centre back.
We could see Earl feature in that role moving forward, but Saturday’s omission means he now has to prove himself to Lowe.