Team news

Ferguson to monitor trio Preston boss Darren Ferguson has major doubts over the fitness of three players ahead of the home clash with Sheffield Wednesday.

French defender Youl Mawene succumbed to a groin injury in the first half of Saturday's thrilling 3-2 victory against Nottingham Forest at Deepdale.

He was replaced by Liam Chilvers shortly before half-time and Ferguson will hope to have him available to face the Owls.

Left-back Tom Williams and striker Jon Parkin missed Saturday's match due to ankle and knee injuries respectively.

They will also be assessed but Ferguson admitted they are doubtful for the clash.

On-loan Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck has returned to Old Trafford for treatment on a knee injury and remains sidelined.

Wednesday manager Alan Irvine has no new injury or suspension problems for his side's midweek clash at former club Preston.

Irvine, who replaced Brian Laws as permanent boss at Hillsborough after his surprise sacking by Preston in late December, is not expected to make any changes following the 0-0 draw at Swansea on Saturday.

Midfielder Sean McAllister remains doubtful after missing out over the weekend due to a strained stomach muscle and defender Lewis Buxton is still struggling with a hamstring problem.

Irvine named striker Marcus Tudgay on the substitutes' bench at Swansea after his recent illness and must decide whether to recall his leading goalscorer or stick with Leon Clarke up front alongside on-loan Luke Varney.

Preston vs Sheff Wed

Last modified 21:57 16/03/10

Irvine grabs point on Deepdale return Alan Irvine returned to Deepdale to make a point - and he did just that as Sheffield Wednesday conjured a stirring second-half fightback to deny Preston victory in a 2-2 draw.

Irvine, 51, was surprisingly sacked by Preston in December, despite an impressive two-year tenure in which he saved the Lancashire outfit from relegation before guiding them into the play-offs last season.

The Owls quickly snapped up Irvine to lead their battle against the drop, and his players illustrated their stomach for the fight by storming back from two goals down.

Neil Mellor fired Preston ahead in the 29th minute and when influential midfielder Paul Coutts added a second eight minutes after the restart, it looked all over for Irvine.

Yet the former Everton assistant boss has fashioned a side with guts. They hit back with a speculative effort from distance by Tommy Miller in the 53rd minute and Marcus Tudgay's superb finish drew the Owls level four minutes later.

Irvine lost winger Jermaine Johnson to injury after just nine minutes, replacing him with Tom Soares, but the visitors should have soon led when Luke Varney headed Eddie Nolan's cross straight at goalkeeper Andy Lonergan.

Moments later, Preston winger Ross Wallace found Matt James and the on-loan Manchester United midfielder drove a 25-yard shot narrowly over the crossbar.

Tudgay saw a close-range strike saved by Lonergan in the 24th minute before Preston established control through Mellor's clinical opener.

Coutts' delightful pass dissected the Wednesday defence and allowed Billy Jones to strike at goal.

Jones' low shot was blocked by Wednesday skipper Darren Purse but Mellor tucked away the rebound with a low right-foot shot.

Ten minutes before the break, Mellor almost doubled Preston's advantage with a powerful run forward and left-foot drive which Lee Grant tipped over the bar.

The onus was on Wednesday to find a response after the break but Preston struck again in the 53rd minute when Coutts engineered space inside Wednesday's 18-yard box and squeezed a low right-foot shot past Grant from an acute angle.

The goal seemed to jolt Wednesday into life and four minutes later they were off the mark when Lonergan inexplicably allowed Miller's 30-yard piledriver to slip into the net.

The Owls continued to pour forward and were rewarded on the hour when Tudgay took advantage of another defensive slip in the home ranks and clipped a delightful finish over the advancing Lonergan and into the net.