Preston skipper Callum Davidson is available again after a spell out with a groin injury, and Paul Coutts may also return to the squad.
Wayne Brown and Leon Cort impressed at the back against Millwall, so Sean St Ledger may be left out again.
MATCH PREVIEW
After back-to-back defeats, and with arch rivals Swansea breathing down their necks, second-placed Cardiff find themselves five points behind leaders Queens Park Rangers after losing against the London side last weekend.
Bluebirds boss Dave Jones, a former Preston player, had the look of a man under pressure after that match, but pointed out that his team had previously overtaken QPR at the top and insisted they are capable of doing so again.
Preston manager Darren Ferguson is certainly a man under pressure. His team are three points adrift at the bottom of the table and their winless run was extended to four matches when they drew 0-0 at home to Millwall on Saturday.
That was their first clean sheet since August but North End, who have won only one of their last 10 matches, have problems at the other end of the pitch. Since their last win - a 4-3 victory against Crystal Palace - they have failed to score in three of their last six games.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Preston have won 33 and Cardiff 31 of the 84 previous matches between these clubs.
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• The club playing at home has kept a clean sheet in each of the last four games between North End and the Bluebirds.
Cardiff
• Cardiff have won only one of their last five matches, and lost three of them.
• The Bluebirds are three goals away from their 400th under Dave Jones.
• Peter Whittingham is set to make his 150th start for Cardiff, while Craig Bellamy is three goals shy of the 150th of his club career goal.
Preston
• No side has won fewer Championship matches this season than Preston, who have managed only four victories.
• They have conceded 38 goals - an average of two per match - which is the most in the division.
• This is the second time in four seasons that Preston have only accumulated 15 points from their first 19 games.
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport