Intro:

Stoke manager Mark Hughes admits it has been difficult to prepare his side for their Premier League match against Sunderland as they are not sure who will play for their opponents and in what formation.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English), Mark Hughes:

"No they are fighting for their lives. You've head me talking about - not only me but many managers - about the importance of the first goal and I think that's key. I think if we are able to score first I think that will hurt Sunderland obviously clearly but given their position they need a lot of things to go their way just because maybe their confidence at the moment, given their results, is a little bit fragile so they need things to go for them.

"We are not oblivious to talk that they've looked at different formations and different systems and that can help you sometimes. Sometimes it can hinder you - because you have not got enough time to implement them and they are not bedded in. So it will be interesting to see how they line up tomorrow in terms of personnel and formation because it's a little bit of an unknown. So from our point of view, it's a little bit difficult to prepare as well with as much knowledge as we normally have because there is a little bit of debate going on in terms of how they will approach the game."