Eddie Howe's Bournemouth are looking to record their first win on the road this season as they travel to the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday to face an in improved Stoke City side.

After back-to-back to defeats to Middlesborugh and Sunderland, the pressure is well and truly back on the Cherries - who now haven't kept a clean sheet in ten attempts away from Dean Court.

But they face a tough test against a Stoke side unbeaten in their last six after a shaky start to the Premier League season.

Howe wants his side to prove critics wrong

Howe wants his side to prove they are 'better' than those two recent defeats.

"Our focus during the international breaks is to turn into a better team than when we left, so hopefully we can show that," Howe said at his pre-match press conference.

He said that their situation has been "very difficult" and that results are seen as the "be-all and end-all" - but felt that they "deserved more" from "periods in those games."

Howe added that it is up to his team to "prove that" now, insisting that they are "chomping at the bit to play" after a "long two weeks."

Bournemouth are without right-back Adam Smith, who is serving a suspension, which could present an opportunity for on-loan defender Nathan Ake.

The Chelsea man has only featured twice for the Cherries in the Premier League this campaign, his last appearance all the way back on August 27 as a late substitute.

Wilson looking to banish bad memories

Howe will also have to make late calls on Andrew Surman and Callum Wilson, who have both been recovering from hamstring problems.

Wilson, who traumatically ruptured his ACL in the Potteries last year, is hoping to banish that memory this time out.

The striker admitted that he does think about it when Stoke away is mentioned but declared he "won't be thinking about that" on the day - adding: "It will be a case of going there, creating happy memories and leaving with a different outcome. Hopefully, rather than leaving on crutches, I’ll be leaving with three points and a match ball."

Stoke are likely to be without midfielder Glenn Whelan after he picked up a knock on international duty while Geoff Cameron is also out.

Xherdan Shaqiri could come back into the team after returning from fitness, while Wilfried Bony and Glen Johnson could be subject to late fitness tests.

What the stats say

Stoke and Bournemouth have met 22 times, with Stoke victorious in half of those encounters. Bournemouth won five of the meetings and the points were shared in six.

The sides faced each other for the first time in the top division last season, as Stoke completed a Premier League double with a 2-1 victory at home before going on to win 3-1 win at the Vitality Stadium in February.

Bournemouth trail their opponents by just one point and sit in 13th spot ahead of their visit to Stoke. Ten of their 12 points this season have been won at home.