FAC: Coventry v Stoke preview

Coventry v Stoke preview

Under-pressure Stoke boss Mark Hughes will be heading to Coventry hoping to avoid a FA Cup upset in the third round.

The club's owners are considering his future after a run of five defeats in their last seven matches, which has left Stoke in the relegation zone.

But Stoke's bosses are adamant they will not make any snap decision in the face of growing pressure from supporters, some of whom displayed banners demanding Hughes be sacked after the home defeat to Newcastle on New Year's Day.

Stoke will face a test against the Sky Blues, who won four of their five festive games and have climbed up into the automatic promotion places in League Two.

Coventry boss Mark Robins, a former team-mate of Hughes at Manchester United, said: "Hughes will pick the strongest side he can because he will want to progress. That is no different to us, we want to progress.

"We have beaten Maidenhead and Boreham Wood but everything has flipped now. We are the underdogs and they are expected to win that so that changes the dynamic for us.

"The FA Cup is the greatest competition in the world because everybody feels like they have a chance and there are upsets caused all the time."

Stoke have another defensive headache to contend with ahead of their FA Cup third-round clash at Coventry.

Already without captain Ryan Shawcross (calf) and Bruno Martins Indi (groin), Erik Pieters was forced off with a hamstring issue against Newcastle on Monday and is unlikely to be fit.

Several other players have knocks but Mark Hughes has promised to name a strong team, with Stoke desperately in need of a morale-boosting victory.