We've all heard of the infamous wet Tuesday evening at wherever ground, that is some form of yardstick that is supposed to sort the die hard fans from the casual fans but Tuesday the 25th August promises to be a bit brighter down in the Potteries where City take on Stoke for the second round of the English League Cup in a forecasted 20 degree but cloudy evening at 7:45pm, with a buoyed following of jubilant Black and Amber fans that will still be wallowing in the warm feeling of the 2-0 win over Manchester United on the opening day of the season. We've only ever faced Stoke once in a League Cup and that was back in 2016 in the 3rd round where we saw Ryan Mason and Henricksen bagging a brace between them under Mike Phelan in a 2-1 away victory in front of a 10K crowd.

With Ajayi and Mendy, our two tall centre backs being relieved of duty in the 64th minute on Saturday due to suspected niggles, they may be sitting this one out as a safety measure, but I don't think it will worry the Gaffer too much given that we have a number of stand ins that are capable of facing down a Championship side who have not started the season well.

Will Jakirovic go all out for a good cup run or will he treat it as a second string run out to see how far we get, focusing on the main event, Premiership survival, as many teams do? I suspect we'll see Dillon Phillips between the sticks and a start for new boy, Herrington who replaced Mendy at the weekend, Millar on the left, Gourna-Douath for Crooks and Hjertø-Dahl for Slater as a certainty but League Cup games are pretty hard to call given the options and mentality of importance dictated by each club.

One player who could hit a milestone is Lewie Coyle. His Man Utd start was his 199th for the club since he was bought by Grant McCann in August 2020 from Leeds Utd for £350K while currently on loan at Fleetwood but played his debut season behind closed doors due to Covid 19. Ironically, Coyle went on to score his first League Trophy goal for City against Fleetwood scoring the winner in the 94th minute to take the game 3-2 with a thumping strike. So, if Lewie does start, this will be his 200th as a Tiger.

So what of our opponents, Stoke City? Well, the season for them has started grim. Manager Mark Robins, the ex Man Utd player that once saved Alex Ferguson's career before it got going by scoring the only goal to beat Forest in the FA cup 1990, can't get a tune out of them. They faced L2, 12th placed Oldham at the Bet365 in the first round and dispatched them with relative ease thanks to an own goal by The Latics Norburn and a late nail in the coffin from striker Boženík on 88 minutes to run out 2-0 winners but that's were their last win ended.

Their League position and last two results will have Robins thinking. Survival or Cup? because at present they sit 20th in the Championship on zero points and a minus 3 GD. Yes, early days and 44 games to go but what's the most important thing on his mind? Go for a win against City and boost confidence or rest players that failed to win their second game just 2 days earlier? So far they have been beaten 2-1 at home by Swansea and collapsed 3-1 away at Southampton with two late goals on the 89th and 94th minute as well as suffering the indignity of having Engelsson sent off for the foul that gave the Saints the winning penalty with no spying involved.

So. Keep fresh legs on the bench or Gung Ho for a cup win is the question swirling around Sergej's head? I imagine he will take the lead from Acun and get his views on the chess like decisions as it's a game of risk over result but one thing is for sure, we will be travelling to the 365 happier than The Potters will be receiving us, as Robins has to face a newly relegated Wolves at the Molineux Stadium on Saturday for a 12:30 KO and game he needs under his belt. As for us, It's only Coventry.

Prediction. 2-0 Hull City

UTT.