Preview: Stoke City vs Watford - prediction, team news, lineups

Playoff hopefuls Watford will travel to the bet365 Stadium for Saturday's Championship encounter against Stoke City.

The hosts have slipped down to 16th place following a poor run of form, while the Hornets are operating in ninth spot in the Championship table.

Match preview

Stoke's campaign looks set to meander to an underwhelming conclusion after slipping away from the playoffs with a return of just one win from their last 11 league outings (D5, L5).

In fact, the Potters have taken just a point from three matches since they recorded their most recent victory in a home game against Oxford United.

They lost back-to-back away games against Coventry City and Swansea City before they rescued a dramatic 3-3 draw in Tuesday's home meeting with promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town.

The Potters looked to be heading towards another defeat when Ipswich fought back from two goals down to establish a 3-2 lead, before Milan Smit kept his composure to score a 96th-minute penalty to rescue a point for Mark Robins's side.

While they would have been relieved with the dramatic point, Stoke are now nine points adrift of the playoffs with just nine games left to play, highlighting the size of the task if they are to force their way back into the top-six race.

Their current focus will be on ending their wait for a win against Watford, having failed to take maximum points from any of their previous four meetings since clinching a 1-0 victory in August 2023.

Edward Still, meanwhile, has made his Watford side a tough team to beat since being named as Javi Gracia's successor in February.

Still has won two, drawn two and lost just one of his first five Championship matches, although he would have been disappointed with Tuesday's result against basement side Sheffield Wednesday.

The Hornets required a 90th-minute equaliser from Vivaldo Semedo to rescue a point from their away clash against a Wednesday team in administration and on minus six points following their 18-point deduction.

Watford will have to quickly put that frustrating result behind them, with the Hornets sitting five points adrift from the playoffs in their quest to end their four-year wait for Premier League football.

Saturday's visitors will need to improve on the road if they are to close that gap, having won just one of their previous eight matches away from Vicarage Road (D4, L2).

A win on Saturday would see Watford complete a league double over Stoke after picking up a 1-0 victory in December's reverse fixture thanks to Luca Kjerrumgaard's second-half winner.

Stoke City Championship form:

L D W L L D

Stoke City form (all competitions):

L D W L L D

Watford Championship form:

L D W L W D

Team News

Stoke captain Ben Wilmot will miss the rest of the season after sustaining an injury in last Saturday's defeat to Swansea.

The Potters could also be without Viktor Johansson, Gavin Bazunu, Bosun Lawal, Aaron Cresswell, Lewis Baker, Ato Ampah, Robert Bozenik and Sam Gallagher.

Midfielder Ben Pearson and Sorba Thomas are set to return to the squad after missing Tuesday's draw due to illness and suspension respectively.

As for the Hornets, Still has confirmed that Jeremy Petris will be out for "a few weeks" with the shoulder injury he sustained in the draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

Full-back Jeremy Ngakia is also set for a spell on the sidelines after missing Tuesday's game with a hamstring problem.

Watford are also unable to call upon Hector Kyprianou, Othmane Maamma, Rocco Vata and Kwadwo Baah due to injury, while Mamadou Doumbia will serve the final game of a three-game ban.

Stoke City possible starting lineup:

Simkin; Tchamadeu, Phillips, Talovierov, Bocat; Rigo, Seko; Manhoef, Bae, Rak-Sakyi; Smit

Watford possible starting lineup:

Selvik; Abankwah, Goglichidze, Mfuni, Bola; Irankunda, Louza, Ekwah, Chakvetadze; Kjerrumgaard, Kayembe