‘Straight down the tunnel’: Luckless former Portsmouth attacker suffers fresh Preston North End injury blow after £2m switch
Callum Lang has scored three goals in 16 appearances for Preston North End since his January Pompey exit.
Callum Lang has suffered a fresh injury blow for Preston North End.
It’s been a frustrating stint at Deepdale for the attacker, who made a then club-record move to the Lilywhites for a believed £2m on deadline day in the winter window.
After featuring on five occasions straight after his Fratton Park exit, the 28-year-old was then forced to sit out the remaining 10 matches of last term after sustaining a fresh hamstring issue - a setback which hampered his availability throughout his time on the south coast.
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Having returned to full fitness at the start of the new campaign, Lang has been a regular for struggling Preston in the opening weeks of the campaign, starting nine of the opening 11 matches.
The League One title winner has, though, netted on three occasions for PNE, who currently prop up the Championship standings on just four points.
Former Pompey man suffers injury blow in new boss’ first game
But in new boss Graham Alexander’s first match in the Lancashire hot-seat, the versatile forward was forced off through injury during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Millwall.
Lang was withdrawn on the hour mark against the Lions and went straight down the tunnel at Deepdale, according to the head coach.
While Alexander didn’t disclose the severity of the setback, the Scot admitted ‘there’s a bit going on’.
Speaking after the game, the Preston boss said: ‘A couple of lads [were] ill towards the end of the week.
‘We lost Lewis Gibson just before the game, he actually reported to the stadium but had to go home through illness
‘Langy, obviously, when he came off, he ran straight down the tunnel so there's a bit going on.
‘Then Harry, I think he jarred his knee in a challenge. He wanted to go on in the second half at the start of half-time but as it got stiffer over the pause at half-time he just knew he couldn't continue.’
Callum Lang’s injury frustrations
Lang, of course, made the move to Pompey from Wigan Athletic in 2024 and helped John Mousinho’s troops secure the League One title.
Despite a brilliant return to the Championship, which saw the attacker score 10 goals in the first half of the campaign, he was forced to miss two months after sustaining a hamstring issue against Oxford United in February 2025.
After being eased back into contention ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, the 28-year-old picked up a fresh hamstring setback just two games in and missed more than three months after undergoing surgery.
And after his £2m switch to Preston in February, the attacker’s issues continued and would be forced out once again before the international break in March with another hamstring issue.
Now, just months into the new term, Lang has picked up an untimely blow as he looked to impress new boss Alexander.