• Watford v Preston North End
• Sky Bet Championship
• Vicarage Road
• Saturday March 4, 3pm KO
• Yellow and black home kit

• Referee: Gavin Ward
• Assistant Referees: Robert Merchant and Robert Hyde
• Fourth Official: Alan Young

Since a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Burnley in February, Ryan Lowe’s Preston North End are now unbeaten in four matches, last tasting victory against Wigan Athletic 2-1 last Saturday (February 25).

Lowe will be hoping his side can replicate the defensively-robust performance from August, when they last played the Hornets, during a goalless draw.

• Watford have lost just one of their last seven league games against Preston North End (W3 D3), losing 3-1 in May 2011.

• Preston are winless in their last five league visits to Watford, since a 2-1 triumph on the opening day of the 2005/06 season.

• The Hornets have scored 10 goals in their last four league fixtures against Preston at Vicarage Road - including four in the last such game in November 2020 - as many as in the prior nine encounters.

For a full statistical breakdown check out Stats Buzz: Preston North End In Numbers.

Slaven Bilić’s right-back options are bolstered by the return to fitness of Jeremy Ngakia and João Ferreira, who took part in training this week. The Hornets Head Coach will make a late call on their involvement against Preston.

Click HERE for full Watford team news.

For Preston, both Ben Whiteman and Robbie Brady will be back available for selection after serving their respective suspensions, while Greg Cunningham is also back in training, having recovered from the knock which left him out of Tuesday’s 0-0 draw against Coventry City (February 28).

Slaven Bilić, Watford Head Coach:

“We know we have to kick on, and that now is the time for the results. You can’t calculate how everything is going to go, but make no mistake, we’ll be going for 36 points from these next 12 games. We know where we are, but we are optimistic because this is the point of the season we looked at as being really important, and we knew we had to get to it without dropping too far away in the table.

“We still have a few players out injured, but I’d say now we’ve got 90 per cent of the players we’d use in these last 12 games, and they’re all getting stronger as we go on. We’re not happy with how some of the previous games have gone but we’re still in the running, and we believe that we have the tools to pick up good results, starting tomorrow against Preston.”

Ryan Lowe, Preston North End Manager:

“They’ve [Watford] just come down from the Premier League, they’ve got some fantastic quality and they’ve got a manager who knows what to do and how to do it and has been there before.

“He’s got teams out the division and has managed in the Premier League so we’re under no illusions it’s going to be a tough task, but I think our positive mindset of late and performances of late have been fantastic, and we want to continue that.”

Overall:

Won: 13
Drawn: 14
Lost: 18

Last Six:

August 2022: Preston North End 0-0 Watford (Championship)
February 2021: Preston North End 0-1 Watford (Championship)
November 2020: Watford 4-1 Preston North End (Championship)
August 2015: Preston North End 1-0 Watford (League Cup)
May 2011: Preston North End 3-1 Watford (Championship)
February 2011: Watford 2-2 Preston North End (Championship)

A five-goal thriller saw Watford secure three points back in 2020 at Vicarage Road, winning 4-1 in the second-tier.