Holden facing a daunting start

FOUR straight clean sheets in the league and a shut-out of a £43million-rated striker serve to emphasise the sheer scale of the task Athletic’s goal-shy side faces against Preston tomorrow.

Scott Wiseman is set to slot in at right-back for head injury victim and North End captain Tom Clarke.

Otherwise, the imposing back-four also featuring Paul Huntington, Australia World Cup star member Bailey Wright and Scott Laird is set to stay in situ at SportsDirect.com Park.

And they will hope to have the same effect they did against Manchester United striker Falcao, who was so quiet he was withdrawn after an hour in the FA Cup-tie at Deepdale two weeks ago.

Looking to the other end of the pitch, things hardly ease up for Athletic’s new acting manager Dean Holden.

Joe Garner’s comeback from an unusual shin injury as a late substitute in an FA Cup victory at Sheffield United has coincided with the return to form of five victories in six outings in all competitions.

And as if the presence of the talismanic centre-forward isn’t enough for manager Simon Grayson, he has the option of bringing on Kevin Davies, Jermaine Beckford and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake from the substitutes’ bench.

Preston’s current station of fourth in the Sky Bet League One table, three points behind MK Dons with a game in hand, can certainly be improved on. The team’s form has ebbed and flowed this season, but at the moment they are enjoying a purple patch.