Preview: Luton Town vs. Stoke City - prediction, team news, lineups

At a time when the Hatters occupy fourth place in the standings, Stoke are down in 18th and looking to move clear of the relegation zone.

Match preview

Luton's recent FA Cup form has left a lot to be desired, needing a replay to overcome Championship strugglers Wigan Athletic before being held to a draw by League Two outfit Grimsby Town last weekend.

Nevertheless, it has been a different story in the league with the Hatters winning five of their last six fixtures in the Championship, their only defeat coming when they blew a two-goal lead versus West Bromwich Albion.

Since then, however, victories and clean sheets have come against Wigan and Cardiff City, Tuesday's triumph over the latter coming by a 1-0 scoreline.

Luton now sit in fourth spot with a game in hand on the teams in third and fifth, leading to optimism that the club can finish in the playoffs for the second season in a row.

However, Luton are still just five points adrift of 11th spot ahead of playing a Stoke side who could improve during the second half of the campaign.

Although the Potters inevitably cashed in on star defender Harry Souttar, five loan additions were made during the final week of the January transfer window.

Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe was the standout name, but fresh faces have arrived in numerous areas of the pitch in a bid to kick-start their season.

After a three-game losing streak, Stoke thrashed Reading by a 4-0 scoreline in their most recent league game, a result which was followed by progressing past Stevenage in the FA Cup.

With 12 points the difference between these two sides, Alex Neil and his squad cannot be thinking about a late promotion bid just yet, but they have the quality in their ranks to make headway up the table.

Luton Town Championship form:

W

W

W

L

W

W

Luton Town form (all competitions):

D

L

W

W

D

W

Stoke City Championship form:

W

D

L

L

L

W

Stoke City form (all competitions):

L

L

W

L

W

W

Team News

Luton brought in Marvelous Nakamba and Joe Taylor on transfer deadline day, bolstering their options ahead of the closing three months of the campaign.

However, barring any fitness issues, the pair may only be named on the substitutes' bench at best, with Edwards potentially selecting an unchanged starting lineup.

Cody Drameh, a recent arrival from Leeds United, will be assessed having made just his fourth outing of the season when making his debut in midweek.

Although Stoke played with a back four versus Stevenage, Neil may insist on switching to a three in order to match Luton's formation.

That would likely see Dujon Sterling or Ki-Jana Hoever deployed at right wing-back, allowing Josh Laurent to return to the centre of midfield.

Neil must also decide whether to recall Dwight Gayle to the front three or keep Bersant Celina in the team on the flank, but Tuanzebe is unlikely to start this weekend after a year without a competitive senior outing.

Luton Town possible starting lineup:

Horvath; Burke, Lockyer, Bell; Drameh, Clark, Mpanzu, Doughty; Woodrow; Morris, Adebayo

Stoke City possible starting lineup:

Bonham; Wilmot, Jagielka, Fox; Sterling, Baker, Laurent, Tymon; Campbell, Brown, Celina

We say: Luton Town 1-1 Stoke City

While Luton are regarded as the clear favourites to win this game, their home record has not been convincing. With that in mind and there being a freshness to his Stoke squad after their late pieces of business, we are predicting a competitive share of the spoils.

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