Paul Heckingbottom has expressed his frustration over the scheduling of the Championship fixture list as his Preston North End side prepare to take on Leeds United.

The Lilywhites enter Saturday's clash, which gets under way at Deepdale at 12:30pm, on the back of a vital away victory at Cardiff City 2-0 - their first win in 11 outings. But Heckingbottom is unhappy the Lancashire outfit have got less recovery and preparation time than his former club ahead of the televised tussle.

North End played 24 hours after United swept aside Middlesbrough to move back into the automatic promotion places. Speaking after the trip to South Wales, Heckingbottom highlighted the quick turnaround and claimed the scheduling gives Daniel Farke's team an unfair advantage.

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Heckingbottom, who will be without the services of United loanee Sam Greenwood, said: "That is the one thing I don't like about these split fixtures. It's just foolish, really, how much of an advantage it gives another team.

"We've sort of been at the wrong end of that. So, yeah, we have to look at it and try to get the most competitive team out there - but not just at the start of the game, with the subs that could possibly happen throughout the 90, because we are going to need them.

"We are going to have to cope and manage that 24 hours fewer, which I disagree with. I have said that many times - I disagree with it - but we are certainly going to have to look at that. Recovery is starting now, players are getting prepped now - but we will be ready come 12:30 Saturday."