Millwall will be looking to get back on track against play-off rivals Preston North End

The Lions have found results hard to come by of late, failing to score in their last four games – although the stats will tell you they have been a bit unfortunate.

Gary Rowett’s side have one win in their last five games in the Championship and also one win in the last five at home, so it is down to them to make sure they stay in the hunt for the play-offs.

Despite the riches dotted about the Championship, Millwall are flying the flag for those that don’t spend too much, alongside Luton Town and PNE amidst the race for the top six.

They have looked settled amongst the elite of the division but there is no mistaking that Saturday’s game will be one of, if not, the biggest games of the season for both sides.

Goal difference is the only thing that separates the two sides ahead of the meeting in the capital, Millwall’s far superior over North End’s in seventh and Blackburn Rovers’ in sixth. The Lions are at +7, with Rovers at -2 and North End -4, so to some, Saturday’s hosts could be considered virtually another point ahead of those chasing them.

But that certainly won’t be the case if either sides manages to find a way to win this weekend, and it could prove pivotal come the end of the season.

Millwall also have to play Blackburn, as do North End, so the fate of all three sides who currently sit in the most favourable positions is very much intertwined.

Rowett can look back on success already against PNE as he prepares to host Ryan Lowe and his charges, seeing out the first half of the season with a win at Deepdale.

It was the final game before the World Cup break and summer signing Zian Flemming netted a hat-trick in a 4-2 win, despite the home side coming from 2-0 down to draw level.

Those goals were three of 13 that he has so far this campaign, following his £1.7m move to Millwall prior to the season starting. It was a decent outlay for the Lions who are generally quite frugal but it has paid off for them.

Flemming is not their top scorer however, that instead goes to Tom Bradshaw who is enjoying his best goalscoring run since joining the club from Barnsley in 2018. Prior to a run of four games without scoring, alongside the rest of the team, the Welshman has netted seven goals in seven games including a hat-trick against second placed Sheffield United.

There is plenty of Preston in the Millwall side, both hard working, honest groups that rely on a bit of quality coming from certain individuals to make the difference.

But Saturday’s game feels very much like a shoot-out for the teams trying to get into the play-offs, the hosts also having a similar scenario on the last day of the season as they welcome Blackburn.

The play-off picture will keep developing as the next five games progress, but this game in particular will shape how the next week looks and how the mood is amongst North End fans going into the run-in.