Stoke have sacked Nathan Jones after finally taking action over the club's disastrous start to the Championship season, and are preparing an official approach for Alex Neil.

Jones's troubled tenure has been ended after 10 months, with the club second bottom in the division and losing ten of their 14 league games this season.

Stoke do not face league leaders West Brom until Monday night but the decision was made after the return of vice-chairman John Coates from a short family holiday in the United States.

Jones did secure two victories over Swansea and Fulham last month but successive defeats to Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall have forced Stoke into reluctantly ending the Welshman's reign.

Neil, the Preston North End manager, is understood to be high on Stoke's list of potential replacements. Chris Hughton has already informed Stoke he is not interested in taking the job, while a move for former manager Tony Pulis has been dismissed as unlikely by club sources.