James Milner has warned his Manchester City teammates to expect a tough test away to Stoke City tomorrow night.

Premier League champions City are currently seven points adrift of leaders Chelsea following last weekend's 1-1 draw with Hull City.

With the Blues in need of a win to keep the pressure on their title rivals, Milner admits that it will be difficult to come away from the Britannia Stadium with a positive result.

"I'm not sure anyone looks forward to going to Stoke for a number of reasons," he told the club's official website. "Their style of football has changed more recently, but the atmosphere the home fans create can intimidate some teams and it always seems to be blustery with the wind swirling around when we play there.

"As a player, you always want to play in great atmospheres and I enjoy it whether the crowd is with us or against us – it doesn't bother me a bit. If the home fans are quiet, it means we're doing well and that's why we need to start the game strongly."

Milner has scored four goals in 32 games for Manchester City so far this season.