WANDERERS face a defensive dilemma against Preston North End with first choice defenders Leon Johnson and Dave Winfield both struggling to make tomorrow's game.

Johnson needed stitches in a knee injury picked up during Friday's defeat against Huddersfield and is a major doubt for the trip to Deepdale.

There are question marks over the fitness of fellow centre half Winfield, who is also recovering from a knee problem sustained during the Stevenage game on New Year's Eve.

Blues boss Gary Waddock said of Winfield: "He's progressing. Whether the game is too early for him or not, we'll have to wait and see.

"We knew straight away it was a bad one with his reaction. Dave doesn't react that way unless it's bad. He's a big presence for us at the back."

If those two fail to recover in time it leaves Waddock with James Tunnicliffe as the only recognised central defender in his squad with first team experience, with youngster Anthony Stewart yet to make his senior debut.

John Halls played at centre half during Tuesday night's 3-2 win over Chalfont St Peter in the Berks and Bucks Cup and Waddock said that was done with half an eye on the Preston game.

He said: "He's played there before. If he's called upon to play there, I won't have any problems with that."

Halls was one of five players with first team experience to play in the cup tie, with Scott Rendell among the scorers as Blues needed extra time to progress to the last four of the competition.

He and Olly Taylor put Wanderers 2-0 up before Adam Louth and Charlie Strutton scored to force the extra half hour, where youngster Junior Morias netted the winner.