A clash of the Championship's two youngest sides

On-loan Lewis Koumas is one of a number of young players to feature prominently for Stoke this season

When Sunderland host Stoke City on Saturday, it will be the Championship's two youngest sides facing each other.

Both teams have put out a starting XI with an average age of 22.7 this season, the lowest in the division.

Forwards Tom Cannon and Bae Junho and midfielder Andrew Moran, all 21, have been key players for the Potters, while 19-year-old on-loan Liverpool and Wales international Lewis Koumas brings an additional attacking dimension and 20-year-old Junior Tchamadeu has held down an important role at right-back.

"That we will see a lot of energy from both sides, because this is what young players give," Potters manager Narcis Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke. "For fans, it will be an exciting game."

Defender Ben Gibson was the only player to start Stoke's defeat at home to Burnley last weekend who is over the age of 26.

The club are 14th in the league table, while previous leaders Sunderland are fourth.

"Now they are having a little bit of a down, compared to the start to the season," added Pelach, who believes both clubs will improve as their youthful teams gain more experience.

"The basics of the model are already there. We are young, we are growing. We had a very good month in November."