Aston Villa will be looking to pick up all three points to boost their promotion push when they face Preston North End at Deepdale on Wednesday night.

The Villans face the Lilywhites – who are just two points behind them in the Championship standings – on the back of a goalless draw against arch-rivals Birmingham City at St Andrew’s on Saturday.

Steve Bruce probably would have taken that result before kick-off but with his side having some good chances towards the end of the game, he could easily have seen it as two points dropped in the end.

The Midlands outfit have received a boost with the news that Alex Neil’s men could be facing something of a defensive crisis ahead of the clash too, with Sky Sports saying that captain Paul Huntington’s absence because of suspension means he joins the injured Ben Davies, Tommy Spurr, Tom Clarke and Greg Cunningham on the sidelines.

However, that might not be enough to mean that Bruce’s side will pick up all three points in Lancashire.

Here are three reasons Villa will fail to beat an injury-hit Preston…

Villa's away record

While Villa have taken 15 points in seven Championship homes games and are yet to lose at Villa Park this term, it has been a different story on the road.

Steve Bruce's side have won two of their matches on their travels – against lowly Barnsley and Burton Albion – while they have slipped up against fellow promotion contenders Cardiff City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That form certainly doesn't bode well for their trip to Deepdale considering Preston have only lost one of their seven games on their own turf.

Bruce's Deepdale record

Preston away is never a nice or easy fixture, and that has certainly proved to be the case for Bruce over the years.

The 56-year-old has managed an away side at Deepdale three times during his career – for Birmingham in 2002 and 2007 and Hull City in 2015 – and he has lost 1-0 on all three of those occasions.

Considering Villa have only netted two goals in the five away league matches they have failed to win this term, their boss' record doesn't make for great reading for Villa fans on their hopes of taking all three points against the Lilywhites on Wednesday.

Villa on the road in November

While it may not come as too much of a surprise given their struggles in recent seasons, it is still somewhat shocking to learn that Villa have won just one of their last 15 away league matches in the month of November.

Last season, Steve Bruce's men only had one match on their travels in November – a 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion – with the majority of their poor form coming in their last few years in the Premier League before they suffered relegation in 2016.

The record certainly doesn't instil much confidence that Villa will pick up all three points at Deepdale on Wednesday.

Do you agree, Villa fans? Let us know below.