Barnsley have endured a torrid season so far, with the Tykes winning just five games all campaign despite finishing fifth in 2020/21.

Poya Asbaghi's men have picked up three of those wins in their last five games, but their last match saw Derby County beat them 2-0 at Pride Park in a relegation six-pointer.

They currently sit 23rd in the table, six points from Reading in 21st spot.

Stoke City have seen their season dwindle away in recent weeks, and Michael O'Neill's side now have little to play for other than pride as the season enters its final stages.

Their last outing saw Blackpool visit the bet365 Stadium and snatch all three points thanks to a late Josh Bowler strike.

The Potters are 15th in the Championship table having won just one of their last nine league games.

  • Team news

Barnsley

The Tykes will be without key defender Jordan Williams after Poya Asbaghi confirmed that he will be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Cauley Woodrow, Victor Adeboyejo, Aaron Leya-Iseka and Clarke Oduor all remain sidelined but have stepped up their returns to training in the last week.

Stoke City

Liam Moore (knee), Tommy Smith (ankle) and Nick Powell (quad) are doubts for Stoke's trip to Yorkshire after all three limped off against Blackpool on Saturday.

Morgan Fox remains out with an ankle injury, whilst Abdallah Sima is in training but will not play a part against Barnsley.

Key centre half Harry Souttar remains sidelined for the rest of the season.

  • Predicted lineups

Barnsley (4-2-3-1)

Collins; Brittain, Helik, Andersen, Vita; Gomes, Wolfe; Styles, Bassi, Quina; Morris.

Stoke City (4-3-3)

Bonham; Wilmot, Jagielka, Harwood-Bellis, Tymon; Allen, Thompson, Sawyers; Campbell, Maja, Philogene-Bidace.

  • Ones to watch

Amine Bassi

Bassi is an unknown entity in Championship football, but his signing on loan from Metz on deadline day of the January transfer window raised eyebrows around Europe from those that know just how talented the playmaker is when in-form.

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He notched 24 goals and 16 assists in 105 Ligue 2 games for AS Nancy from 2017-2021 and joined rivals Metz last summer before switching to Barnsley in January. He has two goals and an assist in six games so far, and has been a vital cog in the Tykes' upturn in form in recent weeks. 

Jacob Brown

23-year-old Brown is enjoying the best season of his career so far, with nine goals and five assists in all competitions this campaign. He has been deployed in a striker role, rather than as a winger, and his game has benefitted massively from that change. 

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Brown began his career at Barnsley and moved to the Potters in 2020, initially coming under scrutiny for his poor form in front of goal. He has managed to prove many of his doubters wrong this time around, with Steve Clarke rewarding him with a debut for Scotland in November. He also won Stoke's Player of the Month award for October.

  • Previous meetings

The reverse fixture saw a 1-1 draw played out in Staffordshire, with Sam Surridge and Cauley Woodrow scoring for their respective sides.

Tempers flared on the sidelines that day as coaches from both teams were sent off after a bust-up at the end of the game.

Stoke have won just one of their last 11 league visits to Oakwell, a 4-2 victory in 2019 that kicked off Michael O'Neill's reign in style.

  • How to watch

The game kicks off at 19:45 GMT on Tuesday March 8.

It is available to watch in the UK via the Sky Sports Red Button.

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