Ben Davies of Oxford Unitedplaceholder image
Ben Davies of Oxford United | Getty Images
PNE host Matt Bloomfield’s side on Friday night
Former Preston North End star Ben Davies looks unlikely to face his old club on Friday evening.
The Lilywhites are back in action at Deepdale, as they host relegation battling Oxford United in front of the Sky Sports cameras. Paul Heckingbottom’s men are looking to bounce back from defeat to Millwall, while the U’s will be eyeing back-to-back victories after seeing off fellow strugglers, West Brom.
As for Davies, though, first team minutes have been hard to come by since the arrival of Matt Bloomfield as boss. Since the ex-Luton Town and Wycombe chief’s appointment on January 9th, Davies has only managed three league appearances - with one of those a cameo outing at Coventry City.
Having not made the last three match day squads against Middlesbrough, Stoke City and the Baggies, the centre-back was actually in action against PNE’s U21s on Tuesday afternoon. The defender scored the opening goal as the two sides played out a 2-2 draw at Euxton, in the Central League.
Davies is on a season-long loan at the Kassam Stadium, from Scottish giants Rangers. He has made 11 appearances across all competitions for Oxford and sees his contract at Ibrox expire this summer. Last season, the former North Ender was a key cog for Birmingham City in their League One title winning campaign.
After turning out on 44 occasions for the Blues, Davies was linked with a permanent return to the club in the summer. Queens Park Rangers were also credited with interest in the 30-year-old. Davies came through the PNE ranks and represented the first team on 145 occasions, before sealing a £2m move to Liverpool in February 2021.
Oxford boss Bloomfield believes
The U’s head into Friday night’s fixture sitting 23rd in the table, three points adrift of 21st placed West Brom, and six behind Blackburn Rovers in 20th. After overseeing his second victory as head coach, though, Bloomfield is confident the club can beat the drop and secure a third successive season at Championship level.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the game, he said: “We have had some really challenging games but I have been pleased with how we have acquitted ourselves. The tactical discipline, the spirit, the character and the resilience have stood out. The players fight for each other and train really hard.
“We have gone to tough places and picked up points. Now it is about carrying that spirit and togetherness into the rest of the season. There have been pleasing moments and others where we need to improve, but as long as we are moving forward, I believe we have enough quality to get the points we need.
"We have to prepare properly and focus on putting in a performance that can win a match. Nothing is decided on one night and we cannot get too emotional. If we perform to the levels we know we can reach, we will give ourselves the best possible chance. We believe in the work we are doing and in our group.”