PRESTON manager David Moyes will be without his three pronged attack for the second game running for tomorrow's visit of Sheffield Wednesday to Deepdale.

Top scorer Jon Macken missed Tuesday's defeat against Birmingham with a virus but should be back tomorrow. Macken's absence meant Moyes was forced to return to two strikers --David Healy and Brian McBride -- after three victories using all three.

And now it's down to two again as American McBride has been called up for international duty. His side take on Mexico in a World Cup qualifier and he will return to Deepdale next Friday.

"It is a blow but we knew it was going to happen," admitted Moyes.

"But it's great to have internationals in the side.

"It is recognition that the club has come a long way.

"We hope he'll be back in good condition and, after internationals, the players do usually return with more confidence."

The visit of the Owls is still too early for Steve Robinson although he has resumed training folowing an ankle injury and skipper Sean Gregan showed no reaction to his knee operation five weeks ago after coming on as a substitute on Tuesday night.

"They are all coming back and we will need them all. I think we have 14 games in the next eight or nine weeks of the season left.

"We want to have as many fit and raring to go as we can."

Struggling Wednesday, who parted company with boss Paul Jewell recently, had a superb midweek victory over play-off chasers Nottingham Forest and Moyes knows that, after Birmingham, this will be a similarly tough test.

"I think Peter Shreeves took over when they were in the Premiership around this time last year and steadied the ship so the midweek result doesn't surprise me.

"Sheffield Wednesday is always a big game, because of the size of the club and it's stature in football."

Meanwhile, Moyes is keen now, despite already having 50 points on the board, to get some more and make sure they have no fears of getting dragged too close to the drop zone.

"I think we need another few points to make sure we will be in the First Division next season but we haven't been looking over our shoulder.

"We are looking up to the top half of the league."