Stoke City vs Cardiff City preview: How to watch, kick-off time, team news, predicted lineups and ones to watch

Stoke City are in poor form heading into the game, with four consecutive losses foiling their great start to the campaign.

Michael O'Neill's side sit ninth in the table, after a 1-0 loss to Brentford in the EFL Cup in midweek and a 2-1 defeat at Millwall last time out in the league.

It has been a turbulent few weeks for Cardiff City, with eight losses in a row causing Mick McCarthy to lose his job following a 2-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough last week.

Caretaker manager Steve Morison takes charge this weekend with the Bluebirds in 21st place, as the search for a permanent boss goes on.

Cardiff are looking to avoid becoming just the second team to lose nine games in a row in a Championship season - after Rotherham in 2017.

Team news

Stoke City

Stoke have just one new fitness concern, with wing-back Alfie Doughty unavailable due to a hip injury.

Sam Clucas is now considered a doubt after missing the previous two games with a quad injury.

Michael O'Neill is still without long-term absentees Nick Powell (fibula) and Morgan Fox (hamstring).

Cardiff City

Cardiff's midfield injury list is mounting, with Tom Sang out after aggravating a toe that he had surgery on in pre-season.

Joe Ralls is still out with a collarbone problem, whilst Leandro Bacuna (hamstring) and Sam Bowen (plantar fascia) are major doubts.

Marlon Pack is suspended for the game following his fifth booking of the season in the defeat to Middlesbrough last weekend.

Striker James Collins is also a doubt after suffering a hand injury against Middlesbrough.

Predicted lineups

Stoke City (3-5-2)

Bursik; Wilmot, Souttar, Chester; Smith, Allen, Sawyers, Vrancic, Tymon; Brown, Surridge.

Cardiff City (4-2-3-1)

Smithies; Ng, McGuinness, Flint, Brown; King, Vaulks; Giles, Colwill, Harris; Moore.

Ones to watch

Romaine Sawyers

29-year-old Sawyers joined the Potters on loan from West Brom in the summer. The central midfielder began his career with the Baggies, but moved onto Walsall and Brentford before rejoining them in 2019. He was named in the 2019/20 PFA Championship Team of the Year as the Black Country club were promoted to the Premier League.

A dismal relegation season in the top division for both Sawyers and West Brom followed, and the St Kitts and Nevis international was sent to the Potteries with a point to prove. He has impressed most fans so far, with two goals and one assist in 14 games as he is employed in a deep-lying playmaker role by Michael O'Neill.

Kieffer Moore

Championship fans need no introduction to Kieffer Moore, with the striker scoring 20 goals as the Bluebirds came eighth and pushed for the playoff positions. An international with Wales, the 29-year-old scored his first tournament goal in the summer as he helped his country to a 1-1 draw in the Euro 2020 group stage against Switzerland.

Things have not clicked for Moore this time around, much like the rest of his teammates, with just the solitary strike in 16 games. He will be looking to spring his and his club's season into life with a goal and win in Staffordshire.

Previous meetings

This fixture last season ended in a 2-1 win to the visitors, with second-half strikes from Sean Morrison and Robert Glatzel seeing them come from behind in Staffordshire.