Jim Magilton will be looking to win three away games in a row for the first time as manager when the Blues travel to top-of-the-table Stoke City on Saturday afternoon. Magilton has a full squad from which to pick his side and may name the same eleven for the third successive game.

Even if he decides not to stay with the same side, the Town boss is unlikely to make too many changes to the team which picked up back-to-back victories over Crystal Palace and Blackpool.

Stephen Bywater will continue in goal with skipper Jason De Vos joined by Richard Naylor at the centre of the defence.

Dan Harding is likely to keep his place on the left with Alex Bruce probably on the right. Bruce continuing at full-back will improve Town's capability to cope with Stoke's aerial threat and if that's the case, David Wright will be the defensive cover on the bench.

In midfield, Magilton will probably stick with the central pairing of Velice Sumulikoski and Tommy Miller which worked so well against Blackpool last week, while David Norris is OK to continue on the right despite a persistent heel problem.

Magilton may choose to recall Alan Quinn on the left of midfield in place of Danny Haynes, who has started the last two matches. The England U19 international came into the side at Palace after Quinn turned his ankle in the warm-up and the Town manager may decide that the midfield is stronger with the Irishman included, especially away from home. Haynes would drop to the bench alongside Owen Garvan.

Up front, Jon Walters has been hugely impressive in the last two games and is likely to be partnered by Alan Lee with Pablo Couñago, without a goal since mid-December, on the bench.

Magilton says that Stoke, famously dubbed ‘the land of the giants' by former Town boss Joe Royle, are worthy of their position at the top of the league: "Tony Pulis has put a very good side together at Stoke and they deserve their place at the top of the table.

"Liam Lawrence is scoring goals, we know all about the attacking threat that Ricardo Fuller carries and they have bought Glenn Whelan to the club from Sheffield Wednesday, who is a very good passer and get teams going.

"They have a good backbone, a solid defence and they are playing with confidence, so we know it's going to be a tough task, but it's one we are relishing.

"We go into the game in a good frame of mind after two well deserved wins on our travels and we are going there to win."

Pulis says he is not looking over his shoulder at the chasing pack: "What's the point worrying over things you can't control? I only worry about my own players because that's where I have some control.

"You have to forget about everybody on the outside and just concern yourself with what's happening inside your own dressing room.

"And I'm not concerned about the greater spotlight we might get because it won't change my approach."

Pulis says hard work is the key to his side's success: "I haven't changed anything in my approach.

"It's simply good players taking on board what you want from them and working bloody hard to achieve it.

"Their attitude has been fantastic, while their growing confidence is there for everyone to see.

"We've also got goals throughout the team now. We're getting goals from wide and from the centre-halves, while we know Ricardo Fuller can score and now we're hoping Mama Sidibe can chip in with some as well now he has broken his duck.

"And now we've got Glenn Whelan on board, I'm also expecting him to score a few goals between now and the end of the season as well."

Pulis watched the Blues in action against Blackpool and is impressed with Jim Magilton's January signings, particularly David Norris, who he worked with at Plymouth: "Norris is an outstanding player at this level and an absolute diamond of a kid, on and off the pitch.

"He's got good ability and that special quality of being able to score goals from wide.
"It was the first time I'd seen the foreign lad [Velice Sumulikoski]. He struck me as having good ability, being strong and being able to get from box-to-box.

"Jim Magilton has spent £3 million on those two in the last month and that shows both how serious Ipswich are as a club, and how dangerous they are as a team. They are a fantastic footballing team and one of the best passers in our division.”

Stoke top scorer Fuller spent time on loan with the Blues in 2006, scoring twice in three games. This season the Jamaican has netted 14 times and will be the Potters' biggest goal threat.

Veteran midfielder Dominic Matteo is not yet ready for a return to first team action due to a foot injury, while striker Richard Cresswell is back after a two-match ban.

Carl Dickinson is expected to take over at left-back from Danny Pugh, who starts a ban. Paul Gallagher has an achilles problem but is likely to be amongst the subs.

Stoke currently top the Championship on 59 points, ahead of Watford on goal difference. Town are in sixth on 51, one point behind Charlton in fifth with an equal goal difference. West Brom in fourth are on 55, while seventh-placed Plymouth are two points behind the Blues.

Town and Stoke have been well matched over the years, the Blues winning 28 of the games (26 in the league) between the two sides, Stoke 27 (23) with 20 (18) ending in a draw. Town have never won at the Britannia Stadium, although they have drawn their last two games there. The Blues were last victorious at the Potters' former home the Victoria Ground in March 1997 when Mauricio Taricco scored the only goal.

In January, the sides fought out a 1-1 draw at Portman Road with Danny Haynes putting the Blues in front prior to Ricardo Fuller equalising for the visitors.

Saturday's referee is Mick Jones from Chester, who has shown 102 yellow and five red cards in 34 games so far this season. Jones last officiated Town during the 2-0 defeat to Watford in September. Jones was also the referee during last season's 1-1 draw at Leeds which was interrupted by crowd trouble.

Likely squad: Bywater, Colgan, Bruce, Harding, Wright, Sito, De Vos, Naylor, Wilnis, Sumulikoski, Miller, Quinn, Norris, Garvan, Haynes, Trotter, Legwinski, Walters, Lee, Couñago.

Photo: Action Images

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