Stoke City Hosts Hull City in EFL Cup Second-Round Clash

Stoke City hosts Premier League side Hull City at the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, in the second round of the EFL Cup. The match kicks off at 7:45 p.m. BST in the United Kingdom.

The host side advanced after defeating Oldham Athletic 2-0 in the first round, according to sports.yahoo.com. However, Stoke City has struggled in its Championship campaign, dropping consecutive matches, including a 3-1 defeat to Southampton and a 2-1 loss to Swansea City.

Head coach Mark Robins acknowledged the early challenges following summer additions like Milan Smit, Djibril Soumare, and Ethan Galbraith. As reported by sportsmole.co.uk, Stoke City faces injuries to Aaron Cresswell, Lamine Cisse, Bosun Lawal, Junior Tchamadeu, and Ato Ampah.

Following the Southampton fixture, Robins reflected on his team's performance amidst squad adjustments.

"played really well," said Mark Robins, Head Coach of Stoke City.

Robins noted that squad depth remains a key factor as new players integrate into the roster.

"ended up tiring in areas that we can't strengthen right now," said Mark Robins, Head Coach of Stoke City.

The head coach highlighted the ongoing process required for the roster to build chemistry.

"take a little bit of time," said Mark Robins, Head Coach of Stoke City.

Hull City enters the fixture following a 2-0 Premier League victory over Manchester United, where defenders Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scored. Head coach Sergej Jakirovic plans to rotate the squad to manage player fatigue, according to the Yorkshire Post.

Assistant manager Dean Holden confirmed upcoming lineup changes ahead of the Tuesday fixture.

"The squad's going to be very important to us, as you'll see on Tuesday, we'll make some changes," said Dean Holden, Assistant Manager of Hull City.

Holden emphasized the balance between seeking a victory and building player fitness.

"It's a game we want to win, but equally, we do need to get players up to speed," said Dean Holden, Assistant Manager of Hull City.

The coaching staff monitored physical recovery following their previous match.

"A few of the players that have come in were not quite ready yet for the first game, so we'll try and get some minutes into them, hopefully the lads that came off will be okay," said Dean Holden, Assistant Manager of Hull City.

Holden addressed the physical condition of key defenders after recent substitutions.

"The first signs were it was mainly fatigue, certainly in the two centre-backs and Gilo (Ryan Giles). Lewie Coyle's got a bit of a a niggling ankle issue which has been ongoing through pre-season but as he always does, he puts himself up there for selection," said Dean Holden, Assistant Manager of Hull City.

Midfielder Hidemasa Morita is expected to make his debut despite previous calf issues, while Joe Gelhardt continues recovery from an ankle problem.

"Morita – or Rita, as he wants to be called – it was very frustrating for him coming in with an injury. You want to show people what you're about," said Dean Holden, Assistant Manager of Hull City.

Holden confirmed plan for Morita's participation in the upcoming tie.

"He's a great pro. He'll get some minutes," said Dean Holden, Assistant Manager of Hull City.

Historically, Stoke City holds 16 wins over Hull City's eight in previous meetings, with seven matches ending in a draw.