PRESTON skipper Chris Lucketti believes North End have what it takes to make the play-offs next season, before Craig Brown even reveals any potential summer targets.

North End travel to Norwich on Sunday for their final game of the season. They have the chance to climb up to ninth place if they win against the Canaries, which is just one place below where they ended last season.

But minds are already drifting towards what is needed for a serious promotion push next season.

Not least for Ricardo Fuller, North End's stricken striker who underwent a career make-or-break knee operation at Christmas.

The club have confirmed Fuller has now begin to do light running, which experts say is a sign yet the Jamaican could be back for the start of next season.

Skipper Lucketti said: "I think we have the nucleus of a good team here. We all know each other now and I think that will be an advantage to us next season. We want to do better next season and I think we will have an advantage over a lot of other clubs, which are having to lose players."

Burnley boss Stan Ternent has already signalled he plans to lose a large number of players and favour youth next season.

Coventry have also announced they that will be cutting their wage bill by 75 per cent.

In contrast, Preston seem reasonably well-off. While there is not money to burn, Brown is under no pressure to sell, although he has already announced a bit of an end-of-season clear out with Mark Rankine, Iain Anderson, Colin Murdoch and Tepi Moilanen all surplus to requirements.

As for Brown, he said: "Consistency is something we have to work on. We have got points against teams like Portsmouth but squandered them against Grimsby. That needs to be something we work on.

"Overall, it hasn't been an easy year for us, but when you look at the problems we have had, it hasn't turned out that bad after all.

"We will have Ricardo Fuller back for us next season and our young players having gained more experience in the first team, I think next season will be a very exciting one."