Aiming to guarantee their Championship survival in the penultimate round of league fixtures, Stoke City will welcome Sheffield United to the bet365 Stadium on Friday.
The hosts sit four points clear of the bottom three in the table with two games remaining, while their visitors missed out on automatic promotion on Monday and are heading into the playoffs.
Match preview
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Stoke City return to action on Friday looking to bounce back to winning ways and cement their Championship status for another season, having moved clear of the drop zone in recent weeks.
Heading into the March international break having won just one of their six previous outings, the Potters sat 20th with just 39 points on the board from 38 outings, but they have since kicked on in style to move within touching distance of a seventh straight second-tier campaign.
On their return to action, Mark Robins's side enjoyed a five-match unbeaten streak including three victories, culminating in back-to-back triumphs over Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday, as Million Manhoef and Ben Wilmot scored in a 2-0 win over the latter after a Will Fish own goal made the only difference in South Wales.
A trip to league leaders Leeds United then followed on Easter Monday, but the Staffordshire outfit were unable to make it six unbeaten, eventually succumbing to a 6-0 beating as Joel Piroe scored four goals in the first half alongside finishes from Junior Firpo and Willy Gnonto.
Left wounded by that thrashing in Yorkshire, but now sitting 17th and four points clear of the drop zone with two games remaining thanks to their improved run, Stoke City will aim to move out of reach of the bottom three with a home win on Friday.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, head to Staffordshire for the first of their final two league matches before heading into the playoffs, having seen their automatic promotion hopes ended on Monday.
Having overcome a two-point deduction with a fine campaign in search of an immediate climb back to the Premier League this term, Sheffield United led the Championship on 83 points from 39 outings thanks to a home victory on their return from the international break.
The Blades have since fallen out of reach of the top two, though, losing four of their last five league outings as they firstly fell consecutively at the hands of Oxford United, Millwall and basement side Plymouth Argyle.
Then on the back of a return to winning ways against strugglers Cardiff City on Friday, Chris Wilder's men headed to second-placed Burnley on Monday needing a win to keep their top-two hopes alive, but they fell short as Josh Brownhill netted goals either side of a Tom Cannon leveller in a 2-1 home win.
Now needing to turn their attention to the playoffs beginning in early May, Sheffield United will aim to put their recent disappointing run behind them and rebuild momentum with a return to winning ways on the road on Friday with a third-placed finish already guaranteed.
Team News
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Stoke City will remain without defenders Enda Stevens, Eric Bocat and Michael Rose and midfielders Jordan Thompson and Sol Sidibe on Friday due to ongoing injuries.
Mark Robins could opt to freshen up his starting XI after Monday's 6-0 defeat, although Ali Al-Hamadi should again lead the line with support from wingers Million Manhoef and Bae Jun-ho.
Tatsuki Seko and Lewis Koumas will push to come in from the outset in their 4-2-3-1 setup, while Ben Gibson will compete to come into the defence in place of either Ashley Phillips or Ben Wilmot.
With two games to go until the playoffs, Chris Wilder should rotate his Sheffield United squad with defenders Harry Clarke and Rhys Norrington-Davies sidelined alongside midfielders Oliver Arblaster and Tom Davies.
Tom Cannon, who still leads the hosts' scoring charts this term having scored 12 goals in his loan spell until January, should again spearhead the attack, though, having opened his Blades account in Monday's defeat, while Rhian Brewster, Tyrese Campbell, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Callum O'Hare will compete for attacking spots.
Midfielder Vinicius Souza should be afforded a rest, leaving Hamza Choudhury to join Sydie Peck in the engine room and Rob Holding or Alfie Gilchrist to come in on the right-hand side of a back four.
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Tchamadeu, Phillips, Wilmot, Gooch; Burger, Seko; Manhoef, Baker, Bae; Al-Hamadi
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Gilchrist, Holding, Ahmedhodzic, McCallum; Peck, Choudhury; Rak-Sakyi, O'Hare, Brewster; Cannon
We say: Stoke City 1-1 Sheffield United
The visitors have seen their momentum slip away in recent weeks, while the hosts know a result could seal their safety, and we envisage a share of the spoils in Staffordshire on Friday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
