Preview: Mansfield Town vs. Preston North End - prediction, team news, lineups

Preston North End head into their EFL Cup first round tie with Mansfield Town looking to respond to their shock 4-1 defeat at the hands of Hull City on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Mansfield got their League Two campaign off to the perfect start with a dramatic 2-1 triumph over Bristol Rovers.

Match preview

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When Preston took an early lead against Hull at the weekend, Frankie McAvoy and the club's supporters would have expected their team to cruise to victory against the newly-promoted side.

However, the Tigers ultimately went on to record the surprise result of the opening day, handing Preston a reality check when they would have envisaged recording maximum points.

The manner of the defeat will concern McAvoy, particularly when the club had been on a high on the back of 17 points from eight games at the end of last season.

Preston conceded just one goal during their concluding 450 minutes of action, but McAvoy now has work to do in order to lift the spirits of a squad whose confidence has taken a considerable knock.

On a positive note, Emil Riis Jakobsen netted his first Championship goal since December, a sign that he could have a much-improved campaign this time around.

As far as Mansfield are concerned, Nigel Clough will feel that the pressure is off ahead of this game after their win over Bristol Rovers.

Clough has had a positive impact on the club since his appointment in November, but the Stags are under pressure to finish far higher than last season's 16th position.

Getting the better of opponents who were relegated from the third tier represents the ideal start with the three points being sealed with a 96th-minute penalty.

While Clough will hope that the majority of the club's remaining games are less dramatic, it gave the club's fans the lift that they deserved after spending the past 12 months watching from home.

Team News

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As well as considering a change in system, Preston boss McAvoy will also contemplate several alterations in terms of personnel for this contest.

Daniel Iversen will replaced the injured Declan Rudd between the sticks, while Sepp van den Berg, Daniel Johnson and Brad Potts will all expect to feature.

Jamie Thomas, who has recently signed from non-league Bamber Bridge, may also get the nod over Ched Evans.

Sensing an upset against Championship opposition, Clugh may keep changes to a minimum as he looks to build some momentum.

However, George Lapslie, Ryan Stirk and Jordan Bowery could all be provided with opportunities in the Mansfield team.

Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:
Bishop; Gordon, Rawson, Perch, McLaughlin; Lapslie, Stirk, Quinn; Oates; Bowery, Johnson

Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Iversen; Storey, Bauer, Van den Berg; Barkhuizen, Johnson, Browne, Whiteman, Cunningham; Jakobsen, Thomas

We say: Mansfield Town 1-2 Preston North End

Given the manner of their defeat at the weekend, we expect a strong response from the visitors. While Mansfield are capable of pushing their more illustrious opponents, Preston should have enough quality to edge a close game.