Stoke City

Stoke City boss Mark Robins says the signing of winger Lamine Cisse took longer than anticipated due to the Frenchman's injury.

Cisse is currently nursing a minor shoulder injury but fans can expect to see their first glimpse of the 22-year-old, who joined the club on Thursday, sooner rather than later.

"Thankfully, it's not as severe as we were fearing, and he's someone we've been looking at for a while," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"I look forward to him being fit, and I would imagine that won't be too long, so we are just looking forward to getting him going."

Robins has also confirmed that summer signing Maksym Talovierov has returned to training following a minor hamstring injury.

"It's great to have him back on the grass to see where he's at and try to get him up to speed as quickly as possible so he can play a part," the 55-year-old added.

Listen to the full pre-match interview with Robins and more on BBC Sounds.

Sheffield Wednesday's return to Hillsborough for the first time this season after a summer of financial disarray as they welcome Stoke City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Planned protests against Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri went well at the King Power Stadium during the side's 2-1 loss to Leicester City last weekend and the fans will continue to apply pressure on the Thai business man on home soil.

The Potters won't want to be distracted by the noise around the club however, as they won both their Championship and Carabao Cup matches across the past week and will want to keep the winning momentum going.

• Sheffield Wednesday are unbeaten across their last seven home league games against Stoke City (W2 D5), keeping clean sheets in three of their last four meetings with the Potters at Hillsborough.

• After beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 in their last league meeting in April, Stoke City could win successive league matches against the Owls for the first time since winning three in a row between 1969 and 1984.

• Sheffield Wednesday have lost their opening home game in just one of the last 11 league campaigns (W5 D5), with that defeat coming against Southampton in 2023-24 (1-2).

• Stoke have failed to win their opening away game in any of the last 17 league campaigns (D7 L10), failing to score in each of the last five. Indeed, Stoke last won their first away league game in a season back in 2007-08 in the Championship (1-0 v Cardiff).

• Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan was sent off v Leicester on MD1, since his debut for the Owls in September 2015, the club holds a 40.7% win-rate when he's featured in league matches compared to 31.2% without.

"We got the job done and that's what matters."

Lucas Yeomans and Ben Rowley discuss Stoke City's 4-3 win on penalties against Walsall in the first round of the Carabao Cup and their squad depth going forward.

Listen to the full episode of A Cold Wet Tuesday Night and more on BBC Sounds.

Stoke City boss Mark Robins praised Walsall after his side beat the Saddlers 4-3 on penalties to progress to the second round of the Carabao Cup,

The game ended 0-0 with Robins not happy with how his team performed but insisted that the most important thing is that they are in the hat for the next round.

The Potter's travel to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday (15:00 BST) and will look to continue their winning start to the league season.

"We're through and that's about as much as I can say, we have got to take what we can from the game and that's not taking anything away from Walsall who worked their socks off," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We had a lot of the ball and they stopped us from creating, we had to move the ball more.

"The lads that have played will, and should, have taken something from it, fitness if anything, the good thing is that we got those minutes."

Former Stoke City coach Andy Quy praised the Potters after their 3-1 win over Derby County in their opening Championship game of the new season.

Quy was goalkeeping coach at Stoke for 12 years before leaving in early 2019.

The 49-year-old said, although it is still very early in the season, he was impressed with the Potters' attitude.

"Right from the outset and the intensity they showed, it really set the tone," Quy told BBC Radio Stoke.

"It is only the first game of the season, there's 45 more, it's how they manage that intensity.

"There was a real conviction from City that really put Derby on the back foot."

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Stoke City have struck a deal worth around £2.1m with Ligue 2 side Bastia for their 22-year-old French winger Lamine Cisse. (Corsematin - in French), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.

Striker Divin Mubama says being a student of the game is helping him develop as a footballer.

The 20-year-old joined Stoke on a season-long loan from Manchester City this summer and made the perfect start by scoring on his debut in the Potters' 3-1 win over Derby on Saturday.

"I study a lot of football. I study a lot of defensive movements and how the opposition operate in the box," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"That's part of my development which I'll continue to do."

It was the first league goal of Mubama's senior career, but he did score once for City in an FA Cup tie against Salford in January - his only start for the Premier League side.

"It's massive. As a number nine I just want to come here and score goals," he added.

"I just want to impact as many games as I can. Obviously I want to score every game but that's not realistic.

"I want to be able to impact games on and off the ball, and I'm hungry for goals."

Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke City got exactly the start they needed on day one of the Championship season.

The first half promised much, Stoke were dominant, had more than 70% of the ball and looked comfortable in defence. It seemed like a matter of time before the deadlock was broken.

That it was Derby who got the first goal was a surprise that brought back bad memories. Too often last season Stoke threatened throughout games but ultimately lost because they weren't clinical enough in the final third.

This new Stoke side feels different already. They were more intense, dynamic and determined to play on the front foot than the team we saw last season and Lewis Baker's quick equaliser kept the crowd on board.

The fans will play a part this season and were loud from the minute Steven Nzonzi came out to wave before kick-off as he begins a second spell at the club with a 2018 World Cup winner's medal to show for his travels.

The volume from the stands was rewarded with a Divin Mubama header from a brilliant Tatsuki Seko cross and a goal from fellow debutant Sorba Thomas, assisted by another new signing in Jamie Donley.

Mubama's movement and work rate was excellent throughout and Aaron Cresswell added his calm experience in addition to quality delivery from out wide as all of the new signings impressed.

An EFL Cup tie at home to lower division opposition (Walsall) and an away game against troubled Sheffield Wednesday gives The Potters the opportunity to turn a great opening day into a an opening week that sets the tone for a much better season.

Stoke manager Mark Robins heaped praise on his new signings as they helped his side come from behind to beat Derby 3-1 on the opening day.

The Potters only managed 45 goals last term, but found the net three times on Saturday to earn all three points against John Eustace's Rams.

"That's two goals from a new player and an assist from a new player, which is fantastic. Three goals at home gives us a really good start after a strong performance," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We were really good throughout, and the only time we made a mistake we went behind out of nothing. But we kept going, continued to play create opportunities.

"The cross for the second goal was fantastic, and the goal was nothing more than Divine deserved because he ran his socks off today against two experienced centre-backs.

"We have good players, who are brave on and off the ball and all three goals came from real quality. We worked on that high level and intensity in pre-season as that is what we want to be about and what the fans want to see."

Two sides locked in last season's Championship relegation battle meet to mark a new campaign as Stoke City host Derby County on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Potters ended their season in 18th place just one point above the Rams, who finished in 19th.

Derby were just one point clear of relegated Luton Town and both sides will be hoping to get off to a good start as they look to avoid another relegation scrap this season.

• Stoke City have won just two of their last nine league games against Derby County (D4 L3), though both victories have come on home soil via a one-goal margin in 2021 and 2024.

• Derby County have won just four of their 31 away league games against Stoke City (D9 L18) but did win on their second last visit to the bet365 Stadium in December 2021 (2-1).

• Stoke have won three of their last four opening day fixtures (L1), with each of those victories in that time coming on home soil.

• Derby have lost their opening league game in the last two seasons, last having a longer run of defeats on MD1 between 1980 and 1984 (5).

• Stoke failed to score in each of their last three league games in 2024-25 – they last went four without a goal in March 2019.

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke City are in a strong position to be able to compete in the Championship, according to sporting director Jon Walters.

The Potters are about to embark on their eighth successive season in the second tier since relegation from the Premier League, during which time they have failed to finish in the top half of the table.

Walters, who spent seven years as a player at Stoke, believes their recruitment work over the summer gives them a chance to improve on recent seasons.

"We've brought in six so far and I think the squad is in a really strong position - we've covered most positions twice," he told the club website., external

"I feel if you look at the squad now, to where we were 18 months and 12 months ago, we're in the strongest position we've been in for a while to compete in this league."

Stoke's highest finish since dropping into the Championship is 14th, with current boss Mark Robins their seventh permanent head coach in that time.

"You need a squad of 24 or 25 players that are right at it, pushing each other but have that quality to compete in this league," added Walters.

"The transfer window isn't over - we're looking to add more in but the right person who fits into our group and family of players and staff and buys into what we're doing and where we want to go."

Stoke open the new Championship season at home to Derby on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Image source, Rex Features

There is still lots more to come from new Potters striker Robert Bozenik, according to Stoke City boss Mark Robins.

The 25-year-old Slovakian international joined the Potters from Portuguese side Boavista last month and Robins believes he has the perfect attitude to be a success.

"There's loads to come from him because he hasn't done a pre-season but he's been working on his own and that's credit to him because he looks fit," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"It's exciting, really exciting and [fellow forward] Divin (Mubama) is also working hard and really is getting little service at the moment.

"But that will come for him because he works so hard and once the players get used to that, they'll find him and he can finish - there's no doubt about it and it's the same with Bozenik, he can finish."

Stoke have also been linked with their former midfielder Steven Nzonzi, who is available after leaving Iranian side Sepahan.

The 36-year-old, who made more than 100 appearances in a three-year spell with City between 2012 and 2015, is back training with the club but Robins says there is nothing to read into that at the moment.

"He's with us, he's training and Steven's doing pretty well so we'll keep you posted," he said.

Stoke finished their pre-season programme with a 1-0 win over Burnley at the weekend and begin the new Championship season at home to Derby on Saturday (15:00 BST)