Stoke City vs Hull City. Carabao Cup Round 3.
Bet365 StadiumAttendance10,550.
Wednesday 21 September 2016 10:19, UK
Hull will finally freshen up their starting XI for the EFL Cup third-round trip to Stoke.
Having relied on the same core of players since the start of the season, caretaker manager Mike Phelan will consider throwing recent arrivals Ryan Mason, Will Keane, Dieumerci Mbokani, David Marshall, James Weir and Markus Henriksen in, while Josh Tymon, Greg Olley and Jarrod Bowen should also play some part.
Jake Livermore is suspended after his red card against Arsenal, with Harry Maguire the likely stand-in.
Stoke winger Xherdan Shaqiri could make his return against Hull.
Shaqiri has missed the Potters' last five games but assistant manager Mark Bowen has revealed he is set to be part of the squad for the tie having been back in training after a calf problem.
It is expected there will be a number of changes made to the team, but it looks doubtful that goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard (ankle) will be coming in.
Stoke squad: Given, Grant, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Cameron, Bardsley, Pieters, Johnson, Muniesa, Imbula, Allen, Whelan, Adam, Arnautovic, Sobhi, Walters, Shaqiri, Diouf, Bony, Bojan, Crouch.
Hull squad: Jakupovic, Marshall, Elmohamady, Davies, Maguire, Robertson, Tymon, Clucas, Maloney, Olley, Snodgrass, Diomande, Keane, Huddlestone, Meyler, Mason, Hernandez, Henriksen, Weir, Mbokani, Bowen.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction
This is another tie which pairs two teams needing a result. Mike Phelan obviously hasn't got many options to change his Hull side.
Mark Hughes' players, meanwhile, are of a decent quality and it's another opportunity for Wilfried Bony to sharpen up, potentially with Peter Crouch up alongside him.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: Stoke 2-1 Hull, Bony to score first (25/1 with Sky Bet)
Opta stats
These two sides have never met in the League Cup.
Stoke have lost just one of their last 12 matches against Hull in all competitions (W5 D6).
Stoke have won their last three home matches against Hull without conceding a goal.
Hull reached the quarter-finals in last season's League Cup; their best ever run in the competition.
Meanwhile, Stoke reached the semi-finals last season - their best run since reaching the final in 1972.
