Barclays Premier League
Venue: Britannia Stadium Date: Saturday, 29 March 2014
Match links: WIZIWIG LINKS
Match preview
Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes won the Double together 20 years ago, but that must seem a distant memory as they prepare to meet on Saturday.
Hull City manager Bruce was captain and Stoke City counterpart Hughes scored when Manchester United beat Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley to secure the first league and cup Double in the club's history in 1994.
Bruce will be back at Wembley next month when his side face Sheffield United in the semi-final of this season's FA Cup, as he strives to win the famous trophy for the first time as a manager. But his immediate attention will be getting the better of his former team-mate in the Barclays Premier League encounter at the Britannia Stadium.
Bruce has admitted that he and Hughes have "a mutual respect, but it's not right to say we're pals." The Hull manager also revealed that the former United team-mates "did not speak for years" after Hughes recruited Mark Bowen, Bruce's assistant at Birmingham City and now in the same role at Stoke, to work with him for Wales and then Blackburn Rovers.
Stoke are going in search of a third consecutive victory after a 4-1 win at Aston Villa last Sunday that lifted them above Paul Lambert's side into 10th place. That was only their second away victory of the season in the Barclays Premier League and Stoke will fancy their chances of picking up another three points, given that Liverpool and Norwich City are the only side to have beaten them in their own backyard in the top flight this term. Stoke have suffered just one defeat in their last eight matches, a 1-0 loss at title-chasing Manchester City, and have won three of their last four matches.
Hull's last win at Stoke came back in January 2006, but they have drawn 1-1 in three of their last four trips to the Staffordshire club. Bruce will be looking to build momentum ahead of the trip to Wembley as his players attempt to cement their place in the starting line-up for the clash with Nigel Clough's League One side.
They will need to bounce back from their midweek Barclays Premier League disappointment against West Ham United, where they lost 2-1. That reverse also came at a cost, with goalkeeper Allan McGregor suffering a kidney injury as he fouled Mohamed Diame for the penalty.
"He's got contusion of his kidney, which we are hoping is not ruptured, but it looks a nasty one at the minute," Bruce said. George Boyd will also miss out as he serves the final game of his three-match ban.
Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam comes back into contention after serving a three-match ban, but Jonathan Walters sits out the final game of his suspension. Stephen Ireland is also available after being ineligible to face his former club Villa, but Oussama Assaidi is a doubt and Robert Huth (knee) is definitely out.
Stoke City from: Begovic, Sorensen, Cameron, Muniesa, Pieters, Shawcross, Shotton, Wilkinson, Wilson, Adam, Assaidi, Etherington, Ireland, NZonzi, Palacios, Shea, Whelan, Arnautovic, Crouch, Odemwingie, Guidetti, Ward
Hull City from: Harper, Bruce, Chester, Davies, Faye, Figueroa, Rosenior, Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Koren, Livermore, Meyler, Quinn, Aluko, Fryatt, Jelavic, Long, Sagbo.
Match officials
Referee: Neil Swarbrick; Assistants: S Burt, J Flynn; Fourth Official: J Simpson.