Gary Rowett has endured a tough start to the season with newly relegated Stoke City, with the Potters 14th in the Championship table. 

But things are looking up with Rowett's side in a good run of form, and are unbeaten in their last three league matches.

Rowett's side have also kept clean sheets in their last two games and they will be keen to keep up that defiant defensive record when they host Birmingham City this weekend.

Benik Afobe has been in impressive form this season with four goals to his name this season but will has struggled in recent games, with no goals in his last five league matches for Rowett's side.

Stoke's opponents come into this one in good form with Garry Monk's side unbeaten in their last eight league games, which will be a surprise to most teams when they see that Birmingham are struggling in 17th in the league table.

But who can we expect to see start for Stoke in their crucial game this weekend?

Find out who makes the starting XI here....

Butland would admit himself that he has been disappointed with his side's defensive displays this season but with back-to-back clean sheets, he comes into this one full of confidence.

The former England goalkeeper has played in all 12 of Stoke's league matches this season.

The full-back has been a regular in the Potters side this season, and will be hoping to continue his good run of form in this one.

Pieters has two goals and one assist to his name already this season from left-back.

The Dutch defender has played in all but two of Stoke's games this season and he will be hoping to feature for the rest of the season as they push for a play-off place this season.

Shawcross has been replaced by on-loan Everton defender Ashley Williams in recent weeks, but I could see Shawcross coming in for this game, with the potential battle between him and Lucas Jutkiewicz, one to keep an eye on.

Martina arrived on loan from Everton in the summer and has made the right-back spot his own with eight starts so far this season and he will be confident of keeping youngster Tom Edwards out of the team in the future.

Stoke's on-loan skipper has made six starts this season but is yet to score or assist from his deeper, and more defensive role in the Stoke side this season.

With Woods likely to make his loan deal a permanent one in the near future, he will be vital to Rowett's play-off push.

The Welsh midfielder has one goal and one assist so far this season for Stoke and has started every single league game for Gary Rowett's men.

He will be confident in building on some positive results of late.

The Nigerian arrived with a weight of expectation on his shoulders after a hefty fee was paid for him.

He has started eight league games in total and is slowly justifying his price tag with some good performances.

The former West Brom winger arrived for £5m in the summer and has shown glimpses of justifying that fee paid for the Irish international.

With one goal and two assists to his name, he will be hoping for a good performance here with Bojan pushing for a starting spot in Gary Rowett's side.

Ince is another one of the big money signings that arrived during the summer and in recent weeks he has shown exactly why the Potters paid that money for him.

He has scored three times from RW this season and will be hoping to add to that tally at the weekend.

After his loan move to Stoke in the summer, Afobe would have probably hoped for a more clinical start to like in Stoke.

He is the club's top goalscorer with four goals but is on a recent dry spell in the Championship and he will be looking to end that drought against Birmingham City.