Expected line-ups

Each side's usual system and players over its recent matches, without the injured: a likely eleven, not the team news.

Middlesbrough4-2-3-1 DM AM Wide

Tapasco Brennan Luiz Marc Walter Maston Nevin Themistokleous Adrianzén Renato Ghiocel

• Out: Yair Yeverbaum (attacking midfielder, injured: pulled groin, back about 30 December)
• Out: Alexandre Vaz Rocha (left-back, injured: damaged achilles tendon, back about 27 April)

Stoke City4-4-2

Jose Black Cucoş Pina Belgrave Gasparovic Mayorga Newell Halufovich Bellmunt Whelan

Form

#	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Chelsea	19	+56	55
2	Liverpool	20	+3	36
3	Southampton	19	+6	35
4	Rotherham United	19	+11	34
5	Plymouth Argyle	19	+5	31
6	Manchester United	20	+4	31
7	Everton	19	+1	31
8	Nottingham Forest	19	+2	27
9	Newcastle United	19	-1	25
10	Watford	19	-1	25
11	Reading	20	-10	25
12	West Ham United	19	+7	23
13	Arsenal	19	-2	22
14	Manchester City	19	-7	22
15	Aston Villa	19	-6	21
16	Middlesbrough	19	-12	21
17	Stoke City	18	-11	20
18	Sheffield United	19	-8	18
19	Wolverhampton Wanderers	18	-18	15
20	Luton Town	20	-19	11

Head to head

• Stoke City 0-0 Middlesbrough English Premier Division
• Middlesbrough 2-3 Stoke City Sky Bet Championship
• Stoke City 3-2 Middlesbrough Sky Bet Championship
• Stoke City 2-2 Middlesbrough Sky Bet Championship
• Middlesbrough 0-1 Stoke City Sky Bet Championship