Draw speciaists West Bromwich Albion have marginally more encouraging team news ahead of Saturday's trip to Preston North End.
Carlos Corberan's Baggies have slipped to eight points off top spot and out of the Championship play-off places afer drawing eight of their past nine games.
Albion have won just once in 11 matches, starting with the 3-2 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on 28 September, when they were top of the league.
But they head for Deepdale unbeaten on the road in five games since, including Tuesday's draw (their sixth in 17 games this season) at high-riding Sunderland.