Preston North End v Hull City: Don't read too much into 'bright spot' Noah Ohio's absence, says Liam Rosenior

Ohio's Hull career has had an odd start since arriving on loan from Standard Liege in January, scoring the winner at Rotherham United in only his second appearance, brought on at half-time at Huddersfield Town days later, then not making the nine-man bench since, despite the absence of the injured Liam Delap and Billy Sharp's wait for his first Tigers' goal.

Not for the first time, Rosenior played without a recognised centre-forward against West Bromwich Albion last week, preferring Fabio Carvalho and Abdulkadir Omur as the fit-again Aaron Connolly was eased in from the bench.

Connolly picked up a dead leg that day, but Hull are hopeful he will be fit at Deepdale.

Whilst Rosenior admits Ohio has needed to build up his fitness, he says the 21-year-old's absence from the last two games should not be taken as a sign he is out of favour.

"Noah got 90 minutes in a behind-closed-doors game on Tuesday and he needed it," said Rosenior, who is unsure if Manchester City loanee Delap will be back from his knee injury after an international break which in the Tigers' case has been extended a week by the postponement of their trip to FA Cup quarter-finalists Coventry City.

"He looked gassed out after he played 45 minutes at Huddersfield and we need to up his intensity and he's aware of that. He's got some outstanding strengths.

"I think people read too much into my decisions on the day (as to) whether a player's in our out of the squad – it doesn't mean they're out of my plans. Noah is completely in my plans and will be for Saturday.

"Noah's been a real bright spot and it's weird me saying that when he hasn't been on the bench the last couple of games but there's other things that go on and other decisions that need to be made.

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"Noah's performance made me really happy on Tuesday in terms of his engagement, his running. He's starting to understand that as a striker in the Championship in my team, the first thing you need to do is run.

"He's only 21 and he's had a great background in his career but he's learning and I need the players to learn really quickly on the job.

"I look at players who can play up front for us – Noah, Aaron, Billy, Adama (Traore), Ozan (Tufan), Fabio, Jaden (Philogene), Anass (Zaroury), I can play any combination.

"I don't see the game in terms of a striker has to play as a striker."

The gap from Preston to Hull is only three points – albeit the Lilywhites have a vastly inferior goal difference – making Ryan Lowe's side a stiff test.

"Preston give us a completely different challenge to West Brom and Southampton," said Rosenior of a side who have won four and drawn the other two of their last six games.

"Ryan's done a really good job, they have a really distinct way of playing that the players believe in.

"They've got a great spirit, really good individual players and a lot of experience at Championship level. They're a team that's played together for a long time as well.

"They're quite adaptable tactically. In this period they've been mainly a back three or five.

"They've taken their chances, they've had really strong moments in games and they've been really resolute to see games out when they've taken the lead.

"Preston are where they are in the table because they're a really good team."