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Harrison Armstrong | CameraSport - Rich Linley
The loan star was not involved on Friday night at Deepdale
Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom says Harrison Armstrong’s injury is ‘not a serious thing’.
The midfielder was absent from the Lilywhites’ squad for their 1-2 defeat to Blackburn Rovers on Friday night, having picking up a groin injury during the international break while representing England’s Under 19s. Armstrong played 17 minutes off the bench last Wednesday but didn’t feature at all in the two games after.
Heckingbottom said post-match: “He was just feeling his groin. He played in the first game, came on late and then felt it in training, so they weren’t going to play him anymore. He wasn’t right for us for tonight but it’s not a serious thing. We’ll see (about Tuesday). If it’s a muscle injury and he’s not right, he won’t play. If he’s ok, then he will.”
PNE captain Ben Whiteman will miss the clash at Vicarage Road after picking up a yellow card late on during the Lancashire derby. His fifth caution before 19 games has inflicted a one-game ban.
With Ali McCann also out with a broken arm, North End’s midfield options are further limited. Summer signing Jordan Thompson could therefore be in line for his debut, having recently returned from a lengthy ankle injury.
When asked if Thompson – yet to play a minute for North End - is ready to start a match, Heckingbottom said: “He’ll have to be, won’t he?! He’s worked hard, he’s trained hard. He would’ve been on tonight if we weren’t chasing the game and it was in my head all the time, but when we made the changes and more or less conceded straight away.
“It’s always about, ‘Can we get more attacking players on, more goals and assists?’ I ended up keeping Alfie (Devine) on, moving Mads (Frokjaer) higher, switching Thierry (Small) to the side so it was all about attacking threat rather than seeing the game out.”
Heckingbottom welcomed Daniel Jebbison, Pol Valentin and Will Keane back into his squad on Friday night. The former came off the bench not long into the second half, while Valentin and Keane were unused. With the latter two it will be a case of easing them back into match action.
“I was less relucctant with (bringing on) Jebbo than Pol because Pol’s injury was a bigger one, a serious one and again, I thought about bringing him on for Thierry at the end and just getting him on the last line, to see if he could go one-v-oone and get crosses in,” said Heckingbottom.
“But then Thierry had that chance where he cut inside and almost scored. Pol, in my head, was only 20 minutes at best but he’s getting stronger and fitter every day and he’ll have a couple more days training now before Watford.”
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