Stoke City have had a poor start to the season, after crashing out of the Carabao Cup in the first round and picking up just the one win in their three opening league games.
The Potters lost 3-1 at Huddersfield Town last time out, with captain Lewis Baker netting their only goal after he had missed a penalty to make it 1-0.
Their opponents Middlesbrough have endured a similar start to the season after also losing in the first round of the cup last week and going winless in their first three league games, picking up two points.
They drew 2-2 to Sheffield United last time out, with Chuba Akpom rescuing a point in the last ten minutes to net his brace.
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Team news
Stoke
The Potters will assess both Josh Tymon and Josh Laurent before the game for match fitness after both picked up respective knocks against Huddersfield.
Arsenal loanee Harry Clarke remains out for six weeks with a shin injury.
City also remain without long-term absentees Nick Powell and Harry Souttar with knee and ACL injuries respectively.
New signing Tarique Fosu is in line to appear in the matchday squad if his switch was registered in time, after arriving from Brentford on a season-long loan on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough
Matt Crooks is likely to be in Chris Wilder's squad for the trip to North Staffordshire after recovering from an illness that saw him miss the Sheffield United game.
Josh Coburn remains out with a knee injury that will keep him sidelined for two months.
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Likely lineups
Stoke
Bursik; Wilmot, Flint, Taylor; Fosu, Baker, Kilkenny, Smallbone, Thompson; Gayle, Brown.
Middlesbrough
Steffen; Dijksteel, Fry, Lenihan; Jones, McNair, Howson, Crooks, Giles; Forss, Akpom.
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Ones to watch
Will Smallbone
Smallbone has played just 20 professional games for parent club Southampton over the last three seasons, and is looking to kickstart his career at Stoke this season under Michael O'Neill after an unfortunate ACL injury in 2021.
The 22-year-old is a box-to-box type midfielder but is likely to play further up the pitch for the Potters in the absence of Nick Powell. Along with a handful of Premier League cameos, his talents have been displayed on the international stage with three goals in six games for Ireland u21's.
Isiah Jones
23-year-old right wingback Jones has made a name for himself as one of the best young defenders in the Championship over the last 18 months, with a breakout season last year as he picked up nine assists and netted one goal in 42 league games.
He also picked up the Championship Player of the Month award in December 2021 for his exploits. So far this campaign he has one goal and one assist and is yet to miss a minute of league action.
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Match details
Where is the game being played?
The game is being held at the bet365 Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
What time is kick off?
Kick off is at 19:45 BST, on Tuesday, August 17.
How can I watch?
The game will not be televised in the United Kingdom and Ireland, but is available for purchase on iFollow.