MK Dons v Preston preview

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MK Dons boss Karl Robinson could name an unchanged side.

The Dons have been victorious in each of their last two league games and Robinson could be tempted to stick with the same team that came from behind to beat Oldham 2-1 on Saturday.

Midfielder Darren Potter (Achilles) will miss the next six weeks, while Dean Bowditch (groin) also remains sidelined.

Winger Ryan Hall was a second-half substitute in his side’s last two matches and he is in contention to make his full debut should the manager wish to make any changes.

Preston boss Simon Grayson will weigh up his options prior to the visit to MK Dons.

Promotion-chasing North End have used a variety of different line-ups and formations throughout the campaign and Grayson has suggested he will be tinkering again in Milton Keynes.

Defender Tom Clarke (thigh) and teenager forward Josh Brownhill (groin) both returned from respective injuries at the weekend to give Grayson a full complement of options.

Such is the Lilywhites’ strength that Canada international Iain Hume was not even in the matchday squad with Grayson suggesting he, amongst others, could be brought back in from the cold.

MK Dons v Preston preview

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MK Dons are assessing Shaun Williams and Ryan Harley ahead of the visit of North End.

The versatile Williams (ankle) and on-loan winger Harley (neck) are both nursing knocks following the 1-1 draw with bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth on Tuesday night.

They are doubts along with winger Dean Bowditch (groin) and goalkeeper David Martin (back), who were both absent at Fratton Park.

Alan Smith will serve the third game of his four-match suspension, while fellow striker Patrick Bamford, who re-signed for the Dons on loan at the end of January, has yet to link up with Karl Robinson’s team as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury at parent club Chelsea.

The Dons are languishing in 13th place in the League One table after a run of seven games without a win.

Preston will be without suspended defender Keith Keane.

Keane, who returned from a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury earlier this month, picked up his 10th booking of the season during last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Swindon and begins a two-match ban.

On-loan Leeds defender Paul Connolly is likely to fill the void at right-back as his former Elland Road boss Simon Grayson takes charge of North End for the second time.

Grayson’s only other absentees are long-term injury duo Scott Laird (broken leg) and Joel Byrom (hernia).

Club captain John Mousinho came through a behind-closed-doors friendly with Sheffield Wednesday in midweek as he continues to build fitness following a hamstring problem.

Fellow first-teamers Jeffrey Monakana, Chris Robertson, Luke Foster and Joe Garner also featured, with the latter scoring in a 1-1 draw.

MK Dons v Preston preview

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MK Dons will be without Shaun Williams.

Williams will serve a one-match suspension after the midfielder collected his fifth yellow card of the season during the 2-0 victory over Tranmere.

Goalkeeper David Martin and midfielder Darren Potter shook off injuries to claim their places in the starting line-up at Prenton Park and this time around manager Karl Robinson is hoping Charlie MacDonald and Stephen Gleeson can do the same.

Striker MacDonald is nursing a knock from last weekend while midfielder Gleeson was absent for the trip to the Wirral with an unspecified problem.

Robinson revealed he also has two other unnamed concerns ahead of the visit of North End.

Graham Alexander is his own worst injury problem as the veteran midfielder and coach David Unsworth prepare to take charge of managerless Preston.

North End parted company with boss Phil Brown on Wednesday following a run of one win in 11 League One games and later chairman Peter Ridsdale confirmed Alexander and Unsworth would taken the reins in Milton Keynes.

Alexander will be able to focus all his attentions on the coaching role in hand after confirming he expects to be sidelined for between six to eight weeks with a hamstring injury.

Canadian forward Iain Hume made his return from knee problems as a substitute in last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Stevenage and is pushing for a start up-front alongside Neil Mellor after completing 45 minutes for the reserves in midweek.

Paul Coutts is fit to return after a mouth abscess kept the midfielder out against Boro, while the flu bug that swept through the Lilywhites squad on the eve of that game is no longer a concern.

Midfield duo Barry Nicholson (ankle) and Ian Ashbee (knee) will have their fitness assessed ahead of kick-off.