Preview: Stoke v City

Tomorrow night Stoke and City will do battle in the second of three bouts within twelve days. The first was a drab evening which we ended lucky to still be in the FA Cup. Tomorrow is the first of four extremely tough games that will give us a better idea whether we're true contenders for the top four or this year's Spurs-like also-rans.

Key duo Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy will be missing, with Carlito back in Argentina on family matters, Craig out with a recurrence of his longstanding knee problem. Vince Kompany's groin may also rule him out, and Mancini has confirmed that Martin Petrov is unlikely to start. Micah Richards is around a week off a return, but Shaun Wright-Phillips and Stevie Ireland should both shake off knocks in time. Adam Johnson will return after two good performances so far.

Stoke will have to make do without in-form winger Matt Etherington, who suffered ligament damage to a knee during Saturday's game. Replacement Liam Lawrence picked up a less serious knee injury and is expected to start from the bench again. Abdoulaye Faye has recovered from a pulled back, and Dean Whitehead also returns.

I expect Pulis to make three or four changes from the side that started the first meeting. Etherington being missing will probably see Tuncay move flanks. Whitehead and Delap are thought pretty likely to come in, too, with Salif Diao perhaps most likely to make way after Glen Whelan's tireless performance at Eastlands. Andy Wilkinson's switch to left-back didn't really work out, and Danny Collins looked better once brought on. His inclusion should see the defence start as it finished on Saturday.

The biggest worry for us is that we're missing our two main goal threats, and away from home a 4-3-3 can soon become a 4-5-1, leaving Adebayor up front with little support once more. I can't see Mancini resorting to a more orthodox 4-4-2, and we don't really have the personnel anyhow given Santa Cruz' fitness, so we're quite likely to see Adam Johnson and Shaun Wright-Phillips wide of any three of four; Vieira, Barry, de Jong, Ireland.

Pablo Zabaleta's form of late has been a cause for concern. Etherington missing out comes as a slight relief, though nobody likes seeing players injured. Assuming he's match-fit i'd be tempted to give Nedum Onuoha a game. Kolo Toure continues to look extremely jumpy, Ned's calm head besides him could be just the tonic. Bridge and Lescott both played well during the Cup game and should keep their places.

We know what we're going to be met with tomorrow; a battling team, a narrow pitch, a boisterous crowd (as it should be at every ground, every week), triers kicking, harrying and harassing for the win. I'll just point out that i thought Stoke not only played valiantly but confidently in possession for large parts of our recent tie, not wanting to be one of those who perhaps a bit ignorantly makes out that they're a one-trick pony, a side only capable of playing the most direct football possible.

How we cope with set-pieces will obviously have a huge bearing on the result, a guide dog could point that out. Delap's throws will have arseholes quivering in our back five, and not only Fuller and Sidibe but Shawcross and Huth will have to be picked up each and every time. Our zonal marking under Mancini has attracted criticism, but i think i'm right in saying that Fuller's goal was the first we've conceded directly from a corner or throw under the Italian, though clearing our lines in general has obviously proved a problem.

I'm dubious as to whether we can contain the Potters, or match then in terms of the physical and mental battle. If we do so we could get something, but the fact that our two best attacking players will be missing doesn't fill you with confidence. I'd take a draw, and i don't feel overly negative saying so. It would edge us ahead of the pack and could give us a slight mental advantage. Certainly won't be a classic.

Stoke: Sorensen, Huth, Collins, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Whitehead, Delap, Whelan, Fuller, Sidibe, Tuncay

City: Given, Onouha, Bridge, Toure, Lescott, de Jong, Vieira, Barry, Wright-Phillips, Adebayor, A.Johnson

Prediction: Stoke 0 City 0