PRESTON defender Graham Alexander will be seeing a specialist about his lung in order to get the all-clear to play football again.

The right back punctured his lung in the Boxing Day victory over Wolves but is still struggling to get his breath.

"He will be seeing a lung specialist this week to see if he is okay," said manager David Moyes, who is hoping to get Alexander back as soon as possible following five successive losses.

"He can't even break into a jog at the moment because of his breathing.

"It is nothing to worry about but we will see what the specialist says, hopefully to get the all clear.

"Even then, he obviously hasn't trained for four or five weeks so he will have work to do."

Icelandic striker Bjarki Gunnlaugsson is also scheduled to see a specialist about a long-term hip problem.

"Bjarki is improving but he could only play 45 minutes in the two friendlies we had in Scotland last week, if he does anything more than that, he feels it."

Moyes though should have Iain Anderson back in the fray for this Saturday's trip to Portsmouth after a three week break for the North End team.

The winger has been struggling with a hamstring strain and has missed the last five games.

"Iain has been feeling one or two twinges but we hope he is over the worst.

"It is hard as Iain is a lad who needs to train to keep his general fitness, if he misses out you can tell in his play.

"He knows this and in his last few years he has missed a lot of training but he was playing well before his injury.

"I said it would take a couple of years to get him in the right physical condition but there is no doubt of his football ability."

Of the other Deepdale casualties, skipper Sean Gregan is still recovering from an operation on his knee while Steve Robinson will be sidelined for the next few weeks with an ankle strain.

With the prospect of the weekend after next off because of Stockport's involvement in the FA Cup, Moyes said: "Although it will be a bit frustrating it may give me chance to clear up a few injuries."