Skipper Chris Lucketti is bracing himself for a festive period on the sidelines. He found himself on the bench for the first time in his Preston career on Friday night.
Youl Mawene and Claude Davis made up the centre of the backline when Lucketti missed the Derby game, and Davies decided to stick with a formula which was working.
Lucketti said: "Nobody wants to miss a game but we play as a team here if you miss a game because the side is playing well that's OK."
After a Boxing Day kick-off against Sheffield Wednesday at Deepdale, North End travel to Plymouth on December 28, welcome Coventry City on New Year's Eve and then head to Norwich on January 2.
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