Tony Mowbray's message as Sunderland's play-off push reaches defining day at Preston

The Black Cats will take almost 6,000 fans to the North West, knowing that a win could yet extend their season. They will need to secure all three points and then hope that either Middlesbrough beat Coventry City, or that Millwall fail to beat Blackburn Rovers.

West Brom would need to beat Swansea City and overhaul a four-goal deficit to edge out Sunderland, should Mowbray's side take all three points.

Mowbray has insisted last week that he would not change anything about the team's preparation or build up ahead of the game and has urged them to play with the same level of freedom that has produced such an impressive run of results since the international break in March.

"Genuinely I don't fill myself full of pressure and tension, I genuinely relax into the game, any game, and I try to get that across to the players in training," he said.

“It's not every day over-showing them what the opposition do, every pass, where they go, what they do. We have to just go and play and be brave and enjoy the football match as a young group of players and it's been enough with those sort of messages all season.

“It's been enough to win plenty of games on the road and this is another on the road, away from home. Be brave, play in the spaces, move the ball, move forward. You have to compete – that's just what the game is.

“Generally, as I said, we've got some really talented individuals who can hurt the opposition, so we'll be going to Preston without pressure just to go and try to win the next match."

Preston North End have seen their own play-off ambitions brought to a half in recent weeks but Mowbray has warned that Sunderland cannot afford to take Ryan Lowe's lightly, and brushed off suggestions that they will have nothing to play for in the game.

Watford produced a resilient performance at the Stadium of Light a week ago despite being in a similar situation, and Mowbray says Preston will be eager to end their campaign on a high in front of the home support.

"We have to be very respectful of them, they suffered a little bit at home earlier in the season but they've resolved that in the second half of the season," Mowbray said.

"We're talking about one of the biggest clubs in the country for many, many years with some of the world's great players. It's a club full of history and with a passionate support base.

"What I do know is that every team wants to finish the season strongly at home, to have a walk around the pitch with their families and to be able to show their appreciation for their supporters. They'll be trying very hard to try and finish the season positively."