Injured: John Walters (knee), Geoff Cameron (knee), Jack Butland (knee), Steven Ireland (leg)
Peter Crouch
Peter Crouch is entering the twilight of his career but he’s far from done. Now 35, the striker has been resurgent in the last month scoring against Chelsea and Watford over the festive period. Many believe he’s unorthodox due to his height but his ability on the ball can’t be underestimated, and he’s got great feet under pressure so he’s not just an aerial threat. Defenders often panic when he plays and that also opens the door for his team-mates as they’re afforded more time and space. His goalscoring record speaks for itself – at club and international level – and although he might not start he’ll play a role this weekend.
Lee Grant
Lee Grant waited 17 years to play in the Premier League and you can tell he’s loving every single minute. It’s refreshing to see a player of his experience playing with a child-like smile on his face, and he’s shown that it’s never too late to dream of making it at the top level. Take nothing away from his performances, though, because he absolutely deserves his spot in the Stoke City line-up and with Jack Butland’s return on the horizon he’ll need to stay sharp to keep his place. He’s kept six clean sheets in the Premier League already this season, and he’ll be desperate to make it seven at the Stadium of Light.
Ibrahim Afellay
Very few players can honestly say they’ve had worse luck with injuries than Ibrahim Afellay. A contender for Stoke’s player of the season last year, the Dutchman suffered a cruciate ligament injury following an innocuous training ground incident, and he also suffered two other long-term injuries, along with a host of other injury problems, prior to his switch to the Britannia Stadium. That said, he returned to action against Liverpool in December and he’s a wonderful talent. His time at PSV Eindhoven was his most productive, but during an injury-hit spell with Barcelona he managed to impress despite their vast array of attacking options. His target now will be to reach those heights with Stoke and cement himself as a key player within Mark Hughes’ ranks.
Joe Allen
Joe Allen will be a key player on Saturday afternoon. The Welshman has scored five PL goals this season and he really is the man who makes the Potters tick, dictating the play to allow the usual suspects – Xherdan Shaqiri and Marko Arnautovic – to do what they do best. Allen didn’t come cheap but he’s proved a shrewd investment by Hughes, and he looks set to be a midfield mainstay at the Britannia for many years to come. Stoke currently sit 11th in the table but they’ve picked up their form in recent months and they’re on the rise, in large part due to the form and leadership of Allen.
Phil Bardsley
I was fortunate enough to work with Phil and he’s a great lad. He was good with the younger players on a day-to-day basis and he set a great example to the boys, so it will good to catch up with him on Saturday. He really enjoyed his time at Sunderland and I think the fans appreciated his grit and determination, and also his ability. Stoke have a lot of competition for places in defence so it’s by no means certain than he’ll play, but if he does I’m sure he’ll get a great reception and he’ll be a very reliable cog in Mark Hughes’ side.
Marko Arnautovic
I pinpointed Marko Arnautovic when Sunderland faced Stoke earlier in the season and he had a very good game. He has great ability and is a definite talent, so he could be a potential match-winner for the Potters this weekend. The players around him will be key which is why I mentioned Allen, so the likes of Jack Rodwell, and our other defensive-minded players, will be key to stopping his influence on the game. He’s scored two goals this season and he’ll be desperate to add to that tally between now and the end of the season.