CAPTAIN Fantastic Chris Lucketti is set to lead Preston's casualties back into action this weekend having battled through the pain barrier himself to be fit again.

Lucketti laid on Preston's equaliser at West Ham, and won praise from his boss when it was revealed he had played with a broken toe only making it through with a pain-killing injection before the match and at half-time.

Brown withdrew Lucketti for Tuesday's FA Cup win at Reading, fearing that long-term damage could be done to the dependable defender.

And with Claude Davis and Marlon Broomes missing with injuries, not to mention Michael Jackson serving his four-match ban, Brown was left without a single first-choice centre-half for the game.

Brian O'Neil drifted back and was accompanied by Tyrone Mears and Rob Edwards. But the defence to face Wigan this weekend should have a more familiar feel to it, with Lucketti expected back, along with Claude Davis, who suffered a knee ligaments problem in the match at West Ham.

Marlon Broomes, out since Boxing Day, is also approaching full-fitness again, although Saturday may be too too soon for his return.

Brown said: "They played very well and I am delighted with how they handled it on Tuesday. Mears did a great man-marking job."

There is also the chance of the short-term loan signing Brown has been hinting at. The player in question is understood to be of international standing and has commanded big-money fees on both sides of the border.

All sorts of names are being thrown around - Everton's Alan Stubbs, Henning Berg of Rangers to name but two - but Brown is remaining tight-lipped, knowing full well his reputation as having an eye for a bargain means others would love to snatch a player from under his nose.

Ricardo Fuller, who took a pasting at the weekend at the hands of another vicious defence, should have recovered from a swollen knee. He has been linked with Fulham who will seek to replace Louis Saha if he does eventually move to Manchester United.

Chris Coleman, Fulham's manager, was reported to be in the crowd for the draw against Reading 11 days ago.

David Healy misses Saturday's game thanks to a one-match ban clocked up for five yellow cards, while George Koumantarkis expects to be pushing for a place again rather than flying out to Tunisia for the Africa Cup.

The South African was dropped from a squad for a friendly at the weekend after Brown protested about the call-up on the grounds he wasn't match fit.

He has since played in two games, starting on Tuesday, but doesn't expect to get called up.