Stoke City are in poor form, and find themselves 10 points from sixth place heading into the game against Wycombe Wanderers.

Their previous game was marred with controversy after a last-minute penalty call allowed Swansea City to sneak a 2-1 win at the bet365 Stadium. 

Despite being 11 points from safety, Wycombe still hold slim hopes of surviving in the Championship relegation battle. 

Gareth Ainsworth's men need a win in Staffordshire, after being on the right end of the result just two times in their last 10 games.

  • Team news

Danny Batth will be assessed ahead of the clash, after suffering a nasty cut on his forehead in the game against Swansea and subsequently coming off at half-time.

Nick Powell is fit to play after picking up a groin injury and being forced off early too. 

Schalke loanee Rabbi Matondo is likely to be available after injury, with the 20 year-old making just five appearances so far since his January arrival. 

The Potters remain without diminutive midfielder Sam Clucas, with the 30 year-old still recovering from a recent double hernia operation.

Winger James McClean faces further time on the sidelines after needing an injection for a foot injury he picked up earlier in the season. 

Morgan Fox continues to be out with a bad hamstring injury and Nathan Collins and Tyrese Campbell remain out for the rest of the season, with foot and knee injuries respectively. 

The Chairboys' first-choice goalkeeper Ryan Allsop could be in line for a return after last playing on February 16 against Derby County. 

January window signing Jordan Obita will hope to be in contention after picking up a knock a week ago and missing Wycombe's last game against Watford. 

  • Predicted lineups

Stoke City (4-3-3):

Davies; Smith, Souttar, Chester, Norrington-Davies; Allen, Thompson, Powell; Brown, Fletcher, Clarke.

Wycombe Wanderers (4-3-3):

Allsop; Grimmer, Stewart, Tafazolli, Jacobson; Thompson, Knight, Mehmeti; Horgan, Ikpeazu, Kashket.

  • Ones to watch

Jack Clarke

When arriving on loan from Spurs in January, the young winger needed no introduction to the majority of Championship fans. After bursting onto the scene in the 18/19 campaign with his boyhood club Leeds United, Clarke has been unable to replicate that form in numerous loan spells away from Tottenham ever since. 

But after some bright showings in recent weeks off the bench for Stoke, this matchup against Wycombe may be the perfect opportunity for the 20 year-old to get off the mark and show what he is capable of when starting games. If Michael O'Neill employs a four man defence, then it seems very likely that Clarke will slot into either the right or left-wing position.

Joe Jacobson

At 34 years old, Joe Jacobson has been the shining light in a dismal season for the Chairboys. At the start of the season you could be forgiven for doubting the veteran left-back, who was embarking on his first ever season in the second tier- but Jacobson has been reliable as ever for the club he joined way back in 2014. 

With three goals and four assists to his name, Jacobson is a constant threat from set pieces and has an eye for a killer pass or cross. Wycombe will need him in full flow if they are to trouble a recently leaky Stoke defence. 

  • Previous meeting

The reverse fixture at Adams Park was won by the Potters, with Nick Powell heading home a 72nd minute winner in front of 1,000 socially-distanced spectators in early December. 

That was the first fixture between the two since 2002, in which Wycombe sealed their first and only ever victory against Stoke, in what is today known as League One.

The clubs have played just nine times in their history, with five Stoke wins, three draws and one Wanderers victory. 

  • What the managers have said

Speaking to the press, Michael O'Neill gave little away on the team he is likely to pick for the game. He said:

"We look at the team and we’ve arguably got five players who would start in our team who are unavailable due to injury at this minute in time.

"We just have to be mindful of that. The most important thing is to pick the strongest team to win the game. The players have had a good response, they seem fresh, they’ve trained albeit light over the last couple of days."

On Stoke's opponents, O'Neill said:

"They've been extremely competitive in the majority of their games, albeit they've found it difficult to get wins. They've shown a competitive spirit and we have to be ready for that."​​​​​​​