Preston vs Wolves

Preston North End host Wolverhampton Wanderers at Deepdale in the Championship on Saturday 22 August 2026, with both sides still searching for their first league victory of the new season. The match pits a Preston team eager to impress on a new pitch against a Wolves outfit still adjusting to life back in the second tier.

Team News and Injury Latest

Wolves will again be without goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, winger Rafiki Said, and midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, all of whom missed the opening-day draw against Blackburn Rovers. Kieran Trippier and Raúl Jiménez made their league debuts in that game – Jiménez coming off the bench to equalise – and both are expected to feature at Deepdale. The Mexican striker could push for a starting role after his goal.

Preston, meanwhile, lost captain Ben Whiteman to Wrexham during the summer but have refreshed the squad under Paul Heckingbottom. Alfie Devine arrived on a permanent deal from Tottenham, while Delano Burgzorg (Middlesbrough) and Jusef Erabi (Genk) joined on loan. The trio will hope to make an impact as North End target improvement on last season’s 14th‑place finish.

How Wolves Have Started

Wolves began life back in the Championship with a 1‑1 home draw against Blackburn, extending a miserable run on the opening two matchdays of a campaign. Since the start of 2021‑22, they have failed to win any of their 11 league fixtures on matchdays one and two, losing all five away games in that sequence and scoring only once. Jiménez’s leveller at least ended a goal drought on such occasions, but César Peixoto’s side need a positive result quickly.

Defender Toti Gomes caught the eye in that opener, completing 88 successful passes at a 95.7% accuracy – the best of any player in the division who attempted 40 or more passes. His composure in possession will be vital in a potentially tense away fixture.

Preston’s New‑Look Deepdale

A £1.5 million re‑laying of the Deepdale pitch was the headline close‑season investment, after the old surface hindered Heckingbottom’s intended passing game last winter. The fresh turf should encourage a more expansive style, but the squad remains light following the departures of several loan players and the influential Whiteman. The new arrivals offer creativity, yet Preston will need to gel quickly against a Wolves side still carrying top‑flight quality.

Head‑to‑Head and the Draw Trend

This is a meeting of two Football League founder members, but recent encounters have been remarkably cagey. Each of the last four league games at Deepdale between these sides has finished as a draw, the most recent a 1‑1 stalemate in February 2018. Overall, Wolves have lost only one of the past eight league meetings (W3 D4). Preston, however, hold a respectable record against sides relegated from the Premier League, losing just two of their last 11 such contests – although one of those was a 3‑1 home defeat to Southampton on the final day of last season.

Given Wolves’ early‑season struggles and Preston’s habit of holding opponents on their own turf, another tight encounter appears probable.

A win for either side would provide early momentum in a congested August programme. Preston will aim to capitalise on a Wolves team still searching for its first league victory under Peixoto, while the visitors will look to bury their poor start to life back in the Championship.