Premier League Preview: Middlesbrough v Stoke
Published 17:00 29/08/08 By By Chris Wilson
Saturday, kick-off 3pm
Celebrity predictions from The New Football Pools' pundits:
John Barnes : Home win. Tony Cascarino : Home win. Graham Poll : Home win.
Team news:
Middlesbrough goalkeeper Brad Jones is back in training after dislocating a finger in the pre-match warm-up at Liverpool last weekend but Ross Turnbull will continue to deputise as the Australian recovers from minor ligament damage. England Under-19 keeper Jason Steele is promoted to the bench, while David Wheater and Andrew Taylor are both fit after suffering knocks.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis will return to his first-choice line-up after resting 10 players for Tuesday's Carling Cup victory at Cheltenham. Pulis is likely to field the team which beat Aston Villa in the Premier League last Saturday providing captain Andy Griffin comes through a fitness test on a bruised knee. Andy Wilkinson is on standby.
Stats:
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Middlesbrough L W W W L; Stoke W W D L W
Top scorers: Mido (Middlesbrough) 3; Ricardo Fuller (Stoke) 2
Match odds: H 8-13 A 5-1 D 13-5
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Match facts from Opta:
Boro and Stoke haven't met in the league since season 1997-98 when both fixtures ended as away wins.
Boro have won their last three home games scoring a total of 12 goals.
Their opening day defeat ended a run of five away games without defeat for the Potters.
Stoke have scored four goals so far from just five shots on target.
Stoke also scored three goals from four shots on target in their midweek Carling Cup win at Cheltenham.
Three of the four goals Stoke have scored have been netted in the final 10 minutes of games while all three of the goals Boro have conceded have also come in that period.
In both of Stoke's games, the Potters have netted a 90th minute goal while in each of Boro's matches the Teessiders have conceded in the final minute.
Four of the seven goals scored by Boro and Stoke this season have been netted by substitutes.
The Potters have committed a join-league high 32 fouls in the league so far.
Boro have only kept one clean sheet in their last nine Premier League games.
Mido has scored four goals for Boro - all in August.
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