Evans & Thorniley miss out: How Preston North End and Blackpool line-up for the derby at Deepdale

Jordan Thorniley has been omitted from Blackpool’s squad despite being described as “fine” by Mick McCarthy during the build-up.

There were fears Thorniley would be missing after the defender suffered his third concussion of the season during the defeat to Coventry City prior to the international break.

But speaking on Thursday ahead of this lunchtime's derby, McCarthy said Thorniley had passed all of his tests with “flying colours”.

Despite this, the 26-year-old is left out of Blackpool's 18-man squad.

Jordan Gabriel takes Thorniley’s place in the backline, while Kenny Dougall and Keshi Anderson replace Lewis Fiorini and Charlie Patino.

Patino drops down to the bench, but Fiorini misses out altogether.

Marvin Ekpiteta, Charlie Goode, Liam Bridcutt, Kevin Stewart, Tom Trybull, Shayne Lavery, Jake Beesley and Gary Madine all miss out through injury.

As for Preston, they make three changes to the side that lost 4-0 to Middlesbrough in their last game.

Andrew Hughes, Liam Lindsay and Troy Parrott replace the suspended Bambo Diaby, the injured Greg Cunningham and Ryan Ledson.

Cunningham has been ruled out for the rest of the season after tearing his hamstring in the game against Boro.

Ched Evans misses out through injury, while Ali McCann and Emil Riis are also sidelined.

TEAMS

Preston: Woodman, Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Potts, Whiteman, Johnson, Browne, Fernandez, Cannon, Parrott

Subs: Cornell, Bauer, Brady, Ledson, Onomah, Woodburn, Delap

Blackpool: Maxwell, Gabriel, Nelson, Connolly, Husband, Lyons, Dougall, Anderson, Hamilton, Rogers, Yates

Subs: Grimshaw, Thompson, Garbutt, Carey, Patino, Poveda, Bowler

Referee: Andre Marriner