Stoke City haven't got off to the best of starts in the Championship, picking up just one point from six ahead of this weekend's trip to Preston.

On the other hand, Alex Neil's side have three points on the board, although they did lose to recently-relegated Swansea last weekend.

Their fixture list looked tough from the off with Stoke and Swansea back to back, but with Gary Rowett's side struggling to find their feet, it could be the perfect time to face them.

They were amongst the pre-season favourites after a blistering start to their summer business, picking up Benik Afobe, but a failure to recruit key positions has left them lagging behind now a ball has been kicked.

Even so, former Leeds midfielder David Prutton predicts joy for them this weekend.

In his usual column for Sky Sports, he's gone for a narrow victory for the Potters.

"Stoke haven't got off to the start they would have been hoping for and their performances have underwhelmed so far. Gary Rowett will be demanding a lot more from his side and I reckon they'll have enough to edge this one."

The Verdict

I can't agree here, I think Preston have had a decent summer, keeping the bulk of a promotion chasing side together. They're settled and whilst their transfer business has been unspectacular, sometimes it is possible to progress just by keeping a side together.

Stoke are finding it tougher than their fans may have imagined and a trip to Deepdale is never going to be easy.