Scott Parker's Burnley will hope to get back to winning ways in the new year when they welcome Stoke City to Turf Moor on Wednesday in their 25th Championship game of the season.
Parker's side are three points from first in third place with 48 points but were held to a 0-0 stalemate on Sunday by Middlesbrough, while Stoke are in 18th place with 25 points and are yet to appoint a permanent manger following the sacking of Narcis Pelach on December 27.
Match preview
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The Clarets created two big chances in comparison to Middlesbrough's one, but Sunday's clash was a fairly timid game, with the sides producing just four shots on target between them.
Parker's team have had issues in the final third this season given their record of 1.3 goals per match is only the division's joint seventh-best return, and their record of 3.6 shots on target per game is the league's seventh-worst tally.
To their credit, no other club has kept more than their 15 clean sheets, and they also have the Championship's outright best defensive record having only conceded nine times.
Burnley's form of late has been largely excellent considering the club are unbeaten in their last 11 games, winning seven matches, including three of their past four.
It should also be noted that the Clarets beat Stoke 2-0 in the reverse fixture on November 30, a match in which Burnley created five big chances compared to Stoke's one.
The hosts have also been difficult to beat at Turf Moor given they have not been defeated in their 11 most recent fixtures at home, though they have been held to a stalemate on four occasions in their last seven at home.
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As for their opponents, Ryan Shawcross has taken interim charge of Stoke and oversaw a 1-0 win against fourth-placed Sunderland on Sunday, a match in which the Potters scored a 92nd-minute winner thanks to Thomas Cannon.
Stoke faced 19 shots from inside the box against Sunderland, and Shawcross acknowledged that the result could have been different, saying: ""We rode our luck at times and it would be naive of me to say we didn't but I knew that would happen. I wanted us to press and get after the ball and I knew if we got it slightly wrong they would cut through us."
The visitors' victory was their first in their last 10 outings, with the team having lost five of the prior six matches to their game on Sunday.
Stoke's win against Sunderland was also the first time they had not conceded at least two goals in their past seven fixtures.
The Potters have been poor away from home given they have been defeated in seven of their last 10 away games, winning just once while only scoring seven times in that period.
Team News
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Though Burnley will be without centre-back Jordan Beyer, as well as wingers Manuel Benson and Mike Tresor, the trio are likely to be available once again in early January.
Attacker Aaron Ramsey is scheduled to make his comeback from injury by the middle of next month, so expect to see Jaidon Anthony, Josh Brownhill and Hannibal Mejbri support striker Zian Flemming on Wednesday.
CJ Egan-Riley is almost certain to start alongside Maxime Esteve in the heart of defence, and the duo may be protected by midfielders Josh Cullen and Josh Laurent.
As for Stoke, midfielders Tatsuki Seko and Wouter Burger could feature in a double pivot in light of the fact Ben Pearson and Jordan Thompson are unavailable.
Shawcross is unlikely to make many changes from the team that beat Sunderland, but with left-back Lynden Gooch set to miss out on action for a few more days after picking up a knock on Sunday, perhaps Enda Stevens will come into the XI.
Forward Million Manhoef has also been ruled out, and his absence could mean that Lewis Koumas, Andrew Moran, Jun-Ho Bae and Thomas Cannon are selected to start in attack.
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Roberts, Egan-Riley, Esteve, Humphreys; Cullen, Laurent; Anthony, Brownhill, Mejbri; Flemming
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Tchamadeu, Phillips, Wilmot, Stevens; Seko, Burger; Koumas, Moran, Jun-Ho; Cannon
We say: Burnley 2-1 Stoke City
Given Burnley have not been particularly strong in front of goal, it would not be surprising if Wednesday's match was low scoring.
However, it is difficult to overlook the hosts' strong form of late, and while Stoke did win last time out, they should come into their clash at Turf Moor as second favourites.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
