In-demand £15m-rated striker hands Preston North End blow ahead of trip to Portsmouth's Fratton Park
PNE striker Milutin Osmajic is an injury doubt for the Lilywhites trip to Pompey on Saturday
£15m-rated striker Milutin Osmajic is a major doubt for Preston North End ahead of their trip to Pompey on Saturday.
The Montenegro international, who has scored three times for the Lilywhites to date this season, had to be substituted in the Deepdale side’s Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Wrexham on Tuesday night because of an injury.
Introduced as a second-half substitute for Daniel Jebbison, the 26-year-old was withdrawn from the action just 10 minutes later with what manager Paul Heckingbottom later described as a rib complaint.
Speaking after the final whistle, Heckingbottom said he was unsure of the extent of the issue. However, the in-demand striker - who has a host of Italian and Spanish clubs after him over the remaining days of the transfer window - is considered doubtful for PNE’s weekend trip to Fratton Park.
‘It's his (Osmajic’s) rib,’ said the North End boss to our sister paper the Lancashire Evening Post.
‘Bigger picture, yeah, I'm frustrated, but obviously, it did have an impact on the game because we'd just taken pace off and then we lose the rest of the pace. It did have an impact on the game but I'm not bothered about that, I just want him to be fit.’,
Milutin Osmajic’s Preston North End importance
Osmajic, a £2.1m signing from Cadiz in 2023, has been in scintillating form for Preston this season as they remain unbeaten in the Championship.
His goal against QPR on the opening day of the campaign earned the Lilywhites a well-deserved point at Loftus Road.
The 26-year-old then scored North End’s winner in their 2-1 victory over Leicester, before repeating the trick against Ipswich Town last time out in the league, with his 11th-minute penalty the only thing that separated the teams.
Those goals have taken his tally to 26 in 82 appearances and helped bring him to the attention of Serie A trio Cremonese, Lecce and Sassuolo. Spanish side Deportivo de La Coruna have also been linked with the controversial frontman, but it’s Cremonese who appear to be showing the most concrete interest. Reports earlier this week claimed they were ‘preparing’ an offer for a player who Heckingbottom values in the £15m bracket.
Pompey v Preston North End early injury news
Preston currently sit sixth in the table thanks to Osmajic’s goals - three points behind current leaders Stoke City and four above 11th-placed Pompey, who secured a well-deserved point on the road against West Brom last time out.
Defeated 3-1 on their previous visit to Fratton Park last November, North End also have injury concerns over Lewis Gibson, Mads Frokjaer, Will Keane, Robbie Brady, Jordan Thompson and Brad Potts. However, on loan Aston Villa winger, Lewis Dobbins, who scored in Tuesday night’s 3-2 defeat at the hands of Wrexham, is expected to be involved despite being substituted at half-time and being spotted with a bandage round his knee.
Pompey will be without the previously PNE-linked Callum Lang (hamstring), Marlon Pack (knee) and Harvey Blair (hamstring) for their final game before the international break.
There’s hope Colby Bishop will be fit after he suffered ‘a whack’ against the Baggies at the Hawthorns.
For your next Pompey read: Portsmouth faithful take aim at ex-Newcastle United man after Blues dig