Burnley vs Stoke: Sam Vokes restored to the Clarets’ front line; Peter Crouch still on bench for Stoke

BURNLEY go into their home match with Sam Vokes restored to their attack to form a twin spearhead with Andre Gray.

It means Ashley Barnes reverts to the subs’ bench as boss Sean Dyche also replaced Scott Arfield with Steven Defour in midfield in a bid to repair the disappointment of Saturday’s 2-0 home loss to Tottenham.

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Stoke manager Mark Hughes, still reeling from the weekend defeat at Leicester, resisted the temptation to recall Peter Crouch into his attack, instead looking to Saido Berahino for goals.

The £12million January signing is paired up front with Marko Arnautovic.

Hughes actually makes four changes: Glen Johnson, Jonathan Walters, Ramadan Sobhi and Glenn Whelan make way for Marc Muniesa, Mame Biram Diouf, Geoff Cameron and Charlie Adam with Hughes reverting to wing-backs.

Dyche’s side moved up to ninth in the Premier League table, 10 points clear of the drop – when they beat Leicester in January but they have not won since.

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They face a Stoke side, bang in mid-table in ninth but only four points above Burnley, who have lost six away defeats in their last eight.

So really whoever wins will go a long way to finally ensuring they will play in the top flight again next term…

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What time does Burnley vs Stoke kick off and what TV channel is it on?

Burnley will take on Stoke at 7.45pm on tonight, Tuesday 4 April.

The match will not be broadcast on TV but you can keep up to date with all the action on the Sun Football App.

We will also have blow-by-blow updates on our live blog.

Last five games form

Burnley: LDLLD

Stoke: LLDWL

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Fact Me

• Burnley have won just one of their five previous Premier League meetings with Stoke (D2 L2), losing to the Potters in their first ever game in the competition in August 2009.
• Stoke won the reverse of this fixture 2-0 in December. They haven’t done the league double over Burnley since the 1978-79 Second Division campaign.
• Eight of the nine goals scored in Premier League meetings between these sides have been in the first-half of games, including all six of Stoke City’s strikes.
• Burnley have failed to score in three of their last four home league games against the Potters, with the last three between them at Turf Moor all ending in draws.
• Stoke City have played 19 Premier League away games in midweek (Tues-Thurs) – in these 19 matches, they have won just seven points (W1 D4 L14).

• The Clarets have collected just nine Premier League points in 2017, with only Sunderland (6) and Middlesbrough (5) picking up fewer.
• Burnley haven’t lost back to back home league games since April 2015, when they lost to Arsenal and Leicester on their way to relegation out of the Premier League.
• Stoke are unbeaten in their last nine away Premier League matches against newly promoted sides (W4 D5), since a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in January 2014.
• Saido Berahino hasn’t scored or assisted in any of his last 13 Premier League starts (10 for West Brom, three for Stoke) – however, he scored a brace in his only previous Premier League start against Burnley in September 2014 while playing for the Baggies.
• Burnley and Stoke are two of three Premier League teams yet to win a game this season in which they’ve fallen behind (along with Middlesbrough) – the Clarets last achieved this in the top-flight in May 2010 (4-2 v Spurs) and have lost 35 and drawn seven of the 42 games since then in which they were losing.

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