Lewis Holtby will hand Rovers a pre-derby day boost with the German midfielder expected to take his place in the side at Deepdale.

Tony Mowbray ruled Holtby out of the Kenilworth Road trip with the 30-year-old having struggled with illness during the international break.

However, with one influential midfielder in Bradley Johnson set to miss the North End visit through suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the season, another is set to take his place.

Holtby has started nine of Rovers’ opening 12 matches, and been a figure in their 4-3-3 formation and is set to return to the side tomorrow having trained with the side ahead of tomorrow’s game.

“Lewis could have come with us to Luton, he’s been training with us for the last couple of days, Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“He’s not been quite himself, so did we want to expose him to a game where we’d be moaning at him because he can’t do the leg work that we’d want him to?

“We’d rather he rest up, have a few more days training with the squad and be ready for Tuesday.”

Rovers will be forced into two changes for the game, with Joe Rankin-Costello set to miss a period of time with a hamstring injury that will see Ryan Nyambe regain his place at right back.

The Namibian pulled out of his country’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier last week with a groin issue, and was doubt for the weekend, but took his place on the bench, replacing Rankin-Costello in the closing stages after he hobbled off.

Holtby’s return to the midfield will be a be a boost, and likely see Tom Trybull move into his more favoured holding role with Johnson missing after collecting his fifth booking of the season.

North End moved above Rovers in the table with their 1-0 victory over 10-man Sheffield Wednesday.

That was their first home win of the campaign and Alex Neil’s side have had the better of the meetings between the sides in recent seasons.

Rovers go into the game unbeaten in their last three games, after putting another point on the board at Luton, and Mowbray says they make the short trip in good spirits.

“They won on Saturday, it’s always a tough game for us, a local derby,” he added.

“It might be different without fans, we’ll have to see what the environment is like. We’ll have to play well.

“I really believe in this team, we’ll go there with a confidence that we believe we can win.

“They’ll have a good feeling about them after winning their first match at home but we’ll go there and look forward to it, as we do all the games.

“We’re looking forward to a good run of matches, they’re coming thick and fast, and we have to dig in as a squad.”