Fellow playoff contenders Preston North End and Swansea City clash at Deepdale on Saturday in what could be a significant game for both teams' promotion hopes.
Preston are just one point and one place ahead of Swansea, sitting seventh in the Championship table and just a point off the playoff places themselves.
Match preview
© Reuters
Following a six-game winless run across all competitions, Preston have bounced back to win their last two league games and reignite their promotion campaign.
Both of those wins came against teams currently in the bottom four, however, and Swansea should provide much sterner opposition.
However, Preston have the finest home record in the Championship, with 32 of their 46 points so far being earned at Deepdale, where they have won 10 and lost just three of their league outings so far this term.
Alex Neil's side will hope that the home crowd gives them the extra push they need to avenge their narrow 3-2 defeat in the reverse fixture in Wales.
Swansea's Championship form has been steady of late, but Steve Cooper's side were beaten 2-0 by Stoke City last time out when a win would have lifted them into the playoff places.
Prior to that defeat, the Swans had lost just one of their last eight league games and will hope to get back on track with a positive result at Deepdale on Saturday.
Swansea have been solid on the road this season, boasting the fifth-best away record in the division, losing just three of their 14 away games so far - only West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest have fewer.
It should make for a close-run affair, as both teams have the chance to elevate themselves into the top six with a win, meaning that there will be plenty of motivation for both sides.
Preston North End Championship form: DLLDWW
Preston North End form (all competitions): LLLDWW
Swansea City Championship form: LDWDWL
Swansea City form (all competitions): DWLDWL
Team News
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Preston manager Neil has a handful of players missing for Saturday's clash at Deepdale, with Paul Gallagher, Tom Bayliss and Billy Bodin all expected to be unavailable for the game due to injury.
Meanwhile, Louis Moult has been ruled out for the season with a serious knee injury and remains absent.
Swansea head coach Cooper has fewer fitness problems, with two players on the mend. Mike van der Hoorn and Jordan Garrick are both on their way back and should be fit again in early February.
Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Rudd; Fisher, Bauer, Davies, Rafferty; Browne, Pearson, Johnson; Harrop; Barkhuizen, Sinclair
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Woodman; Roberts, Cabango, Guehi, Bidwell; Byers, Grimes; Ayew, Gallagher, Celina; Brewster
We say: Preston North End 2-1 Swansea City
This game features two good sides with plenty to play for, but Preston are so strong at Deepdale and their home advantage could see them edge Swansea out for an important win.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a win with a probability of 41.27%. A win for had a probability of 35.16% and a draw had a probability of 23.6%.
The most likely scoreline for a win was 2-1 with a probability of 8.73%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-0 (7.04%) and 2-0 (5.8%). The likeliest win was 1-2 (7.98%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (10.6%).
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