PREVIEW: All-Championship FA Cup clash as Coventry City travel to Stoke City | OneFootball

Coventry City travel to the bet365 Stadium to face Stoke City in an all-Championship clash in the third round of the FA Cup.

Former Coventry City head coach Mark Robins will be hoping to get one over his old club after seeing his Stoke side fall to defeat in the league meeting back in November. That encounter was decided by a late Mason-Clark bicycle kick, handing Coventry the points in what was then a meeting of first against third.

Since that defeat, Stoke have endured a downturn in form. The Potters slipped out of the play-off places and down to eighth, having won just four matches since early November. However, recent results have reignited their play-off push in a Championship season that remains as open as ever. A 2-0 victory over Norwich City last time out put Stoke firmly back in contention.

Stoke’s FA Cup history in recent years has been less encouraging. Since reaching the final in 2011, where they lost to a then-emerging Manchester City side, the Potters have not progressed beyond the fifth round. A semi-final defeat in 2011 and a quarter-final exit the following season remain their deepest runs, while last year they were eliminated in the fourth round on penalties by Cardiff City.

Much will depend on the form of Sorba Thomas, with the Welsh midfielder currently topping both the goalscoring and assist charts for the Staffordshire side.

Frank Lampard’s side arrive in Staffordshire after a remarkable first half of the campaign, having put last season’s play-off heartbreak firmly behind them. The Sky Blues sit eight points clear at the top of the Championship table, a gap that stretched to 15 points at one stage. While Lampard’s side have hit a slight blip recently – winning just one of their last five matches – they remain well placed to push for a long-awaited return to the top flight.

Saturday’s 3-2 defeat away to Birmingham City will sting, but Coventry will be keen to maintain momentum as they turn their attention to cup action.

FA Cup semi-finalists just two years ago, Coventry came agonisingly close to reaching the final after a controversial VAR decision and a missed penalty denied them a dramatic comeback against Manchester United. That semi-final remains their furthest run in the competition since lifting the trophy in the 1980s. A quarter-final defeat to Chelsea in 2008 was another rare highlight, though last season ended in a heavy 4-1 fourth-round defeat to Ipswich Town.

Players such as Mason-Clark, Jack Rudoni and Matt Grimes will once again need to step up if Coventry are to replicate the fairy-tale cup run of recent years.

The match kicks off at 3 pm and will not be broadcast on television.