Stoke vs. Manchester United: Game Guide, Team News, Predicted Lineups

Champions Manchester United travel to Stoke in the late kickoff on Saturday hoping to maintain their perfect Premier League record so far this season.

Buoyed further by a midweek win over former arch-rivals Leeds United in the Carling Cup—with what was effectively a third-string side—the United bandwagon is showing no signs of slowing, although Sir Alex Ferguson's side are sure to face a big test in the shape of Stoke.

The Britannia Stadium is never an easy place to go, and few teams head there confident of emerging with all three points—even Chelsea only escaped with a point in a goalless draw on the opening day of the season.

United can be sure Tony Pulis' side will be up for this one, especially since the Potters will be looking to make amends for their 4-0 mauling away at Sunderland last weekend, a result that blotted their copybook after what had been a fine start to the season.

Nevertheless, they still lie in fifth place in the fledgling table, with their physical approach to the game and, of course, those long throw-ins from Rory Delap, helping them to eight points from their first five games.

Team News

Ryan Shawcross should come back into the Stoke side, having been rested for Tuesday's Carling Cup clash with Tottenham, a match they won on penalties after neither side could find a goal during normal and extra time.

But Kenwyne Jones, who limped out of the action in just the 11th minute, is set to miss out. That means that Peter Crouch, the man who replaced the Trinidadian at the Britannia, is likely to partner Cameron Jerome up front.

Meanwhile, Pulis may be tempted to stick with penalty shoot-out hero Thomas Sorensen in goal—the Dane kept a clean sheet against Spurs having come in for Asmir Begovic, who shipped four in that defeat to Sunderland.

United boss Ferguson is likely to revert to his "Premier League team" for the trip to the Potteries, having given several youngsters and some of the old guard a run out at Leeds in the Carling Cup.

So, with Nemanja Vidic still out injured and with Phil Jones and Jonny Evans doing pretty well alongside each other in the middle, the back four that beat Chelsea last weekend could well be called on again.

Rested stars Nani, Anderson, Darren Fletcher and Ashley Young can all expect to return to the side as well, while Javier Hernandez may recover from that controversial Ashley Cole challenge in time to partner Wayne Rooney up front.

Predicted Lineups

Stoke City: Sorensen; Huth, Shawcross, Upson, Wilson; Delap, Whitehead, Whelan, Etherington; Jerome, Crouch.

Manchester United: De Gea; Smalling, Jones, Evans, Evra; Nani, Anderson, Fletcher, Young; Rooney, Hernandez.

Prediction

Stoke City 1-2 Manchester United

Given their domestic form so far this season, it would take a brave man to predict anything other than a United victory on Saturday.

That is not to say it won't be difficult for the defending champions, for whom David De Gea can expect a torrid time, after having already proved susceptible to long balls and a bit of argy-bargy.

But United's class should prevail, and in Rooney they have a man who is not only in the form of his life and capable to winning matches single-handedly, but also one who isn't afraid of a scrap.