Stoke City will head into their first game under the management of Alex Neil on Wednesday, as they entertain Swansea City.

The Scotsman's appointment was announced on Sunday after Michael O'Neill's departure and a subsequent 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers at the weekend.

Match preview

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Hoping to kick on under the management of Michael O'Neill, Stoke City made a slow start to the new Championship season as they sat on four points from four league games prior to a contest against Sunderland.

The Potters would lose 1-0 in that clash, with Ross Stewart hitting the only goal of the game on the stroke of half time, and such a defeat spelled the end for O'Neill, with the Black Cats boss Alex Neil quickly linked with the vacant post in Staffordshire.

The Scotsman was in attendance on Saturday as they travelled to Blackburn Rovers, and, under the temporary management of Dean Holden, they were able to post a second Championship win of the season as Lewis Baker's first half goal made the only difference.

Neil then officially joined the club on Sunday, and he will look to mark his first game at the helm with the Potters' second straight victory as they aim to climb towards the Championship's leading pack in the coming weeks.

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They welcome a side desperate to put a concerning start of their own behind them, with Swansea City sitting on just five points from their first six games.

Also hoping to kick on after a middling term last time around, Russell Martin's side began with a trip to Rotherham and were able to leave with a point before suffering a disappointing 3-0 defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers in the following encounter.

The Welsh outfit were then able to post a first league victory of the season away at Blackpool, as Olivier Ntcham hit the only goal late on, but they have been unable to build on that since, firstly throwing away a 2-0 lead over Millwall in injury time as own goals from Ben Cabango and Nathan Wood meant they had to share the spoils.

Following a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Luton Town, the Swans made the trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday hoping to correct their form, but they again fell short, eventually losing 2-1 with Joel Piroe's converted penalty not enough to spark a turnaround after Riley McGree and Matt Crooks had put their hosts two goals ahead.

With pressure now building, Martin and his side will be desperate to see a change in fortunes sooner rather than later but face another tough test in midweek when they travel to the Potteries.

Team News

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Alex Neil should stick with the 4-3-3 setup he has inherited from Dean Holden's only game in charge, and the new boss has plenty of injuries to deal with as Harry Souttar, Nick Powell, Harry Clarke, Josh Laurent and Josh Tymon are all sidelined.

Manchester City loanee Liam Delap could again be favoured up front, with Dwight Gayle and Jacob Brown also starting in the attacking line last time out, although Tyrese Campbell and D'Margio Wright-Phillips will be hoping to come in from the outset.

Further back, Lewis Baker remains a key man in midfield, and Will Smallbone and Gavin Kilkenny will likely be left to push for the other two spots that were held by Sam Clucas and Jordan Thompson in the win over Blackburn.

Swansea City will be unable to call on defender Ben Cabango, as he will serve a suspension after being sent off in the dying minutes of their defeat to Middlesbrough, meaning Harry Darling should come back in to join Nathan Wood and Kyle Naughton in a back three.

Joel Piroe opened his account for the term with a penalty at the Riverside Stadium, and he will hope to build on that with a run of goals after finding the net 22 times in the Championship last season.

The Dutch attacker will again join Olivier Ntcham and Michael Obafemi in a front three, while Joe Allen and captain Matt Grimes remain crucial in the engine room.

Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Bursik; Wilmot, Flint, Taylor, Fox; Thompson, Baker, Clucas; Gayle, Delap, Brown

Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Fisher; Naughton, Darling, Wood; Congreve, Grimes, Allen, Manning; Ntcham, Obafemi, Piroe

We say: Stoke City 2-0 Swansea City

Stoke City will feel rejuvenated after the weekend's win, and the introduction of Neil should provide a further boost in the camp as a new manager so often does.

The Scotsman will see Wednesday's game as a good opportunity to start on the front foot against a struggling Swansea side, and we back them to take all three points in relatively comfortable fashion.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Sam Varley

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