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Dickov back to face PNE
PAUL Dickov WILL be fit to take on arch-rivals Preston North End.
Simon Grayson has revealed that the free-scoring Scot was deliberatly rested at QPR last night to ensure he's OK to face North End.
However, the Seasiders do have other injury concerns ahead of the eagerly-awaited clash – a game that has taken on extra importance now that only a single point separates the two sides.
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Claus Jorgensen missed last night's 2-1 defeat at Loftus Road with a knee problem, while fellow midfielder Keith Southern was substituted early in the second half after tweaking his hamstring.
Add to that an injury to John Hills and it's clear that Grayson faces a few sleepless nights ahead of the weekend encounter.
However, the good news is that Dickov – who has five goals in five starts in a tangerine shirt – should be ready and raring to go.
See tomorrow's Gazette for our special free PNE derby supplement
"He still has this slight hamstring problem, but it's the old one – it's not a new injury," said Grayson, when explaining why the 35-year-old striker wasn't involved at QPR.
"It wasn't worth bringing him to Loftus Road last night because it was always a game I wasn't going to play him in.
"It was too soon after Saturday's game and we've only a few days until the Preston game so I decided I wasn't going to play him in this game and hopefully he is available for the weekend.
"But it's true there are a few worries. Claus Jorgensen got a bang on his knee against Southampton. It's not serious though, just a knock and hopefully he'll be OK as well.
"Keith Southern's hamstring problem is not a pull. He just felt it was stiffening up and I wanted to make sure he didn't make it any worse, which he might have done if he'd continued.
"I wanted to change it anyway because we were three goals down so it was an easy decision to take him off.
"John Hills pulled out injured on the morning of the game so obviously we have got a few injuries concerns for the weekend.
"However, it gives opportunities for others to get into the team and keep the shirt from now until the end of the season."
Grayson and his players travelled to London on Monday and stayed there again last night.
They will train at Brentford's ground today before heading back to the North West.
Puzzled
The manager will have plenty of time on the long coach journey to assess his side's performance at QPR, where they went 3-0 down before rallying and scoring twice.
The Seasiders couldn't quite complete their fightback but Grayson remains upbeat – though more than slightly puzzled as to how his team managed to find themselves trailing by such a large margin.
"I was gobsmacked that we were 2-0 down at half-time," he admitted.
"We didn't really create a lot of clear cut chances but we were well in it with regards to possession.
"I said to the players at half-time that we had every chance, it was just a shame that we conceded that third goal so quickly after half-time which made things very difficult for us no matter how hard we tried."
Grayson added: "We try and play a bright, attacking game and QPR do as well so it was a decent contest.
"everyone is aware of the money they have spent but that doesn't always enable your team to gel and for the manager to get his ideas across and play entertaining football.
"We just gave them too big a start and weren't quite able to snatch a share of the spoils, but I was proud of the players' character in clawing their way back from a three-goal deficit."
- POOL reserves take on Rochdale today at Rossendale United (weather permitting), kick-off 2pm. An inexperienced Seasiders side will include Paul Tierney, Simon Wiles, Matty Kay and Latvian keeper Pavel Steinbors.
Highly-rated teenage striker Danny Mitchley is sidelined with an ankle injury.
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 32 mph
Wind direction: West
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Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 28 mph
Wind direction: North west
