Stoke City have won just once in their last six Championship outings and will be hoping to close the gap between themselves and the play-off places when they play Hull City on Sunday lunchtime.

Michael O'Neill's men have looked like the most likely team to break into the automatic promotion race and halt the likes of Fulham, Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion at times this season.

However, a recent injury crisis has not been kind to them and they have fallen to eighth place as a result.

O'Neill still has a dearth of options to pick from in looking to turn Stoke's form around and will fancy his chances of doing so against the relegation-threatened Tigers.

Here, we have taken a look at two possible tweaks O'Neill could make for the trip to the MKM Stadium...

Jacob Brown

Stoke top scorer Jacob Brown has been experiencing a bit of a goal drought during the Potters' poor run.

Steven Fletcher and Tyrese Campbell started the club's last league outing, a 2-1 loss at home to Preston North End, with the former a very experienced campaigner in the second tier.

However, there is definitely an argument that Brown and Campbell would be a more mobile and dynamic duo to test the Tigers backline.

Brown has earned his first Scotland call-up this season and has been a consistent threat at the top of the pitch with his channel running and link-up play.

 

 

Alfie Doughty

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It feels like Stoke are limiting themselves a touch in having Morgan Fox at left wing back.

That is not to say that Fox is not a competent Championship player, but he is not as suited to a left wing back role as Alfie Doughty.

There are a lot of teams deploying three at the back systems in the EFL this season, the majority of them will be deploying wing backs with a greater attacking mindset than a defensive one.

Doughty offers a lot more going forward than Fox, and against 19th placed Hull City, there will be a licence to utilise that.