PRESTON boss Craig Brown has been handed a potential banana skin of a tie in the Worthington Cup, but is looking forward to the friendly against Manchester City.

His North End side will face Scunthorpe at home on September 10.

In theory, the Division Three outfit should be a doddle for Preston -- promotion pushers for the last two seasons -- but, as the match against Tranmere proved last year, when it comes to the cup anything goes.

But all the signs for a good start to the season appear to be positive following three wins and a draw in pre-season -- the latter being a 3-3 thriller against Dunfermline -- with hardly any injury worries troubling the new Scot in charge.

However, it is next week's big game which is focusing on the minds of North End fans, when newly-promoted Premiership side Manchester City play Ryan Kidd's testimonial at Deepdale.

Fans are advised to turn up early for this match as a large crowd is expected and there will be cash turnstiles open on the night. It should give fans the chance to see Ricardo Fuller in action and could place Dickson Etuhu up against the manager and team he left under a cloud when he swapped for North End last season. And, of course, there is the return of Jon Macken, the £5million striker who quit Deepdale for Manchester City.

That game takes place on on Tuesday, July 30, at 7.45pm -- by which time, the long-running saga about Gareth Ainsworth's future should finally have been sorted out.

The fans' favourite has been offered a short-term deal -- up to six months -- so he can prove his fitness to Brown, who admits his side are quite well-blessed for wide players.

Ainsworth now has to decide whether he is happy to prove himself or go to a team prepared to offer him better terms. He has admitted his recent marriage means he has to look to the future.

Two other players won't be in the squad for Tuesday night either.

Israeli international defender Amir Shelach has returned home, following a two-week trial with Preston.

A club spokesman said: "Despite impressing Craig Brown, it was decided that there was no room for the player in the squad."

Meanwhile, Billy McKinlay will not be extending his stay. He has been training with Preston, but with nine midfielders on the books already at Deepdale he will not be moving to North End.