Stoke City host Oxford United this weekend, looking to move further away from the drop zone in the Championship table.
Heading into the weekend, the hosts are 19th in the Championship standings and seven points behind the visitors, with both teams having played 28 games so far this season.
Match preview
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The Potters have had a turbulent campaign so far, with the club already on their fourth different head coach of the season, including Ryan Shawcross, who has had two separate interim spells in charge this year.
Stoke sacked Steven Schumacher after three defeats in their opening five Championship games, but his replacement, Narcis Pelach, lasted just over three months in the job.
The hosts only won three league matches under the Spaniard, with Stoke's nine-match winless run between early November and late December leaving them with no choice but to part ways.
Since then, the club's form has picked up, with Portsmouth inflicting Stoke's first defeat under new boss Mark Robins on Wednesday evening, when Pompey ran out 3-1 winners at Fratton Park.
One area of the team that Robins will be wanting to improve on is Stoke's attack, with their 26 goals this season only one goal better than Plymouth Argyle, who have scored the fewest in the league.
This weekend's clash with Oxford represents a good opportunity to start putting that record right, as the visitors have conceded 43 times so far this campaign, meaning that Gary Rowett's side have one of the leakiest defences in the league.
However, Stoke will be aiming to improve on their home form too, as they have the fourth-worst home record in the division - with the hosts only winning four of their 14 home games this year, with six draws and four defeats in the other matches.
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The U's showed good spirit in their last outing, as they came from behind twice to beat Luton Town 3-2 at the Kassam Stadium, which means that they have won five matches in their opening seven league matches under their new boss.
Rowett replaced Des Buckingham in the dugout at the Kassam Stadium after the club went on a disappointing run in the league, picking up just four points in Buckingham's final eight games in charge.
That switch has certainly paid off so far, with the club currently unbeaten in the league under Rowett, with their only defeat coming in a surprising 3-1 loss to Exeter City in the third round of the FA Cup earlier this month.
Only Leeds United can better Oxford's form over the last six matches, based on their superior goal difference - and with the Whites currently top of the table, that is not bad company to be in.
With the club in such good form, another win this weekend would have Rowett's side looking up the table and seeing if they can mount a late playoff push.
Oxford are now mathematically closer to the Championship playoff positions than they are to the relegation zone, and if they can win this weekend, they will start to believe that they can maybe mount a surprising push for the top six.
However, for all the positives at the club so far, Oxford have been heavily reliant on their excellent home form this season, with only seven of their 35 points in the league being won in away matches.
With the momentum from recent results under Rowett, including five points from a possible nine in away matches under their new boss, Oxford will be looking to secure another three points against a Stoke side very much involved in the relegation battle in the Championship.
Team News
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The hosts will be without both Sam Gallagher and Ben Pearson, with the pair ruled out due to hamstring injuries, while Sol Sidibe (muscle) and Lynden Gooch (leg) are also out for the foreseeable future.
Elsewhere, Eric Junior Bocat (calf), Jordan Thompson (leg) and Million Manhoef (MCL) are not expected back until at least next month.
In another blow for the hosts, Ben Wilmot is expected to miss this game, as he suffered an injury in the defeat to Portsmouth earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, the visitors will be without Tyler Goodrham, who will serve the final match of his three-match suspension following his red card in the FA Cup defeat to Exeter City earlier this month.
Other absentees for Oxford include Owen Dale (muscle), Elliott Moore (groin), Max Woltman (leg) and Ben Nelson (hip), with all four players expected back in action next month.
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Stevens, Rose, Phillips, Tchamadeu; Burger, Seko, Koumas, Moran, Baker; Lowe
Oxford United possible starting lineup:
Cumming; Leigh, Brown, Helik, Kioso; Brannagan, Vaulks, Dembele, Phillips, Placheta; Harris
We say: Stoke City 1-2 Oxford United
The visitors have been in fine form since Rowett took charge at the club last month, so we see them edging a tight encounter here.
For Stoke, the results have improved under Robins, but they are still not winning enough games and we expect that to continue for at least another week.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Tom Humphrey
