EPL: Stoke City v Bournemouth preview

Stoke City v Bournemouth preview

Two teams desperate for three points go head-to-head at the bet365 stadium on Saturday as Stoke City take on Bournemouth.

The Potters have just one win from their last six Premier League matches and they go into the contest on the back of a 7-2 thumping at the hands of Manchester City.

Mark Hughes will be looking for a reaction from his side whilst revenge could also be on his mind, having lost to the Cherries in this fixture last season.

The Welsh boss has revealed Switzerland international Xherdan Shaqiri is a doubt for the clash after badly straining his ankle in the loss to the Citizens, but Joe Allen and Ryan Shawcross have a chance of featuring.

Bournemouth are also in a treacherous position in the table and they sit in 19th position, two places behind their opponents.

The south coast outfit have just one win from eight league matches and they have only managed to pick up four points in total.

Although little has been made about the manager's position, Eddie Howe is under pressure to pick up some points but he feels performances have been good in recent weeks.

On the injury front, the Cherries will be without Brad Smith as he is seeing a specialist whilst fellow defender Tyrone Mings is also on the sidelines.

Scotland international Ryan Fraser is rated 50/50 for the game due to a hamstring issue and he will be assessed closer to the time.