Preston North End and Cambridge United met in Spain on Friday in a pre-season friendly that offered both clubs another useful checkpoint in their build-up to the 2026-27 season. With Preston preparing for Championship football and Cambridge getting ready for League One, this was less about the scoreline and more about rhythm, selection and gaining minutes in the legs.
Paul Heckingbottom was expected to keep rotating his Preston side, with the possibility of moving closer to a full-strength lineup as the summer goes on. Cambridge, meanwhile, continued their own preparations after promotion, using the trip to Spain to sharpen up before the new campaign begins.
Both sides looking for progress
The friendly came after both clubs had already played two pre-season matches, so the game sat neatly in the middle of their summer schedules rather than at the start. Preston had taken part in a 4-1 victory and a 3-2 loss in their earlier friendlies, while Cambridge had also used their first two games to build towards the season ahead.
For Preston, the focus this summer has included permanent moves for Callum Lang and Alfie Devine, two additions that should give Heckingbottom more flexibility as the squad takes shape. That kind of business matters in pre-season because it helps the manager settle on combinations rather than simply shuffling players through the minutes.
Fresh faces and familiar names
Cambridge’s summer work has also been clear. The squad has been strengthened by the arrivals of Callum Stead, Patrick Bauer, Isaac Heath and the loan return of Gassan Ahadme, who will be familiar to supporters from his previous spell at the club.
Ahadme’s record from 2023-24, when he scored 11 goals in 29 league games for Cambridge United, underlines why his return is noteworthy. If he settles quickly again, he could become an important part of their League One push.
Preston finished 14th with 60 points from 46 matches last season, while Cambridge ended up third with 82 points and 33 goals conceded. Those numbers provide the backdrop to this meeting: one club trying to push higher in the Championship, the other trying to carry promotion momentum into League One.
With four friendlies left for Preston, there is still time for Heckingbottom to fine-tune his squad. For Cambridge too, this was another step rather than a final judgement, but games like this are where a pre-season tour starts to feel meaningful.
