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Championship Preview: Leaders Swansea play basement side Stoke

Championship Preview: Leaders Swansea play basement side Stoke
© Reuters
The Championship leaders take on the lowly Potters on Saturday.

Defender Connor Roberts insists Swansea will not underestimate struggling Stoke despite the chasm between the sides this season.

Saturday's clash at the Liberty Stadium pits top against bottom in the Sky Bet Championship, with Steve Cooper's side having taken 21 points from their first 10 games, 19 more than their woefully out-of-form opponents.

However, Roberts is taking nothing for granted after being part of the Swansea side beaten 3-2 by Ipswich at home at the same stage of last season, when the visitors had drawn six and lost five of their first 11 league games.

"If you look at their team, they've got some really good players," Roberts told the club's website.

"I think they've just been a little bit unlucky with results and individual errors and they will be coming down to us determined to put things right.

"You cannot underestimate any side in the Championship. Any side can beat any other on any given day so we have to focus on our own game.

"Our goal is to be top of the table going into the international break. The only way we're going to do that is by performing well and getting a good result on Saturday."

Stoke manager Nathan Jones believes he has the backing of the club's owners but is well aware there will be a limit to their patience.

"They've appointed me and trusted me more than I have deserved if I'm honest, but they know the work I do and I'm a fighter who is strong," Jones said in a pre-match press conference.

"I know they are fully behind me because if they weren't I would have been gone a long time ago. If results continue as they are I'm not dumb or stupid, there is a certain time limit regardless of whether the owners set one or not.

"Even if they said 'If you don't win at the weekend, that will be it' I wouldn't come out and say that. However that's not been said to me but I'm not naive enough to think that this can continue."

Leeds will aim to keep up the pressure on Swansea as they head to Millwall, whose manager Neil Harris stepped down on Thursday after more than four years in charge.

Huddersfield manager Danny Cowley wants his side to build on their first win of the season when they take on Hull at the John Smith's Stadium.

"It was great that near-on 1,000 supporters were able to see the victory with us on Tuesday night (at Stoke)," Cowley said.

"We know that we've had 20,000 plus at home pretty much all season and they really deserve to have a victory as well, it would be really nice if they could see a win with their own eyes and feel that they've contributed."

Saturday's early kick-off sees Fulham take on Charlton in a London derby and a win for the Addicks at Craven Cottage will take them above their opponents in the table.

Elsewhere, Bristol City face Reading, Derby welcome Luton to Pride Park, Nottingham Forest take on Brentford at the City Ground and Barnsley travel to Preston.

Blackburn make the long trip to London to take on QPR, while Sheffield Wednesday are at home to Wigan and Cardiff travel to the Hawthorns to face West Brom.

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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sunderland139222391429
2Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd149321871128
3Leeds UnitedLeeds137512281426
4Burnley136521761123
5Watford147162222022
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom13562148621
7Middlesbrough146351816221
8Millwall135441612419
9Blackburn RoversBlackburn135441614219
10Swansea CitySwansea14545119219
11Bristol City144731819-119
12Norwich CityNorwich144642320318
13Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds145361724-718
14Oxford UnitedOxford Utd144551717017
15Coventry CityCoventry134361717015
16Derby CountyDerby134361617-115
17Stoke CityStoke134361518-315
18Hull City143651518-315
19Cardiff CityCardiff134361319-615
20Plymouth ArgylePlymouth144371425-1115
21Preston North EndPreston133551420-614
22Luton TownLuton133371521-612
23Queens Park RangersQPR141761223-1110
24Portsmouth141671327-149


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