Doubts over Preston four

Graham Westley is facing up to being without a quartet of first-teamers ahead of Preston's npower League One trip to Oldham.

Forward Iain Hume overcame a foot injury to start last weekend's victory over Huddersfield but will now sit out the rest of the campaign with utility man Paul Parry, who suffered a knock in the same match. The duo join striker Neil Mellor (knee) and midfielder Barry Nicholson (hamstring) on the sidelines. On the four absentees, North End boss Westley told his club's official website: "We probably won't see much of them before the end of the season. "They are all in decent enough spirits, they have all got knocks that'll keep them out for a month or so, which will take us beyond the end of the playing season. Going into the summer they will all be ready for pre-season training." Graham Cummins is expected to start up front in Hume's absence, although on-loan Arsenal youngster Rhys Murphy is pushing for a place in attack after bagging a brace in Tuesday's 4-0 reserve win over Macclesfield.