Source: Eurosport
Pulis forced to shake up Potters
Richard Cresswell and Danny Pugh are favourites to replace James Beattie and Danny Higginbotham in Stoke's clash at Fulham on Saturday.Beattie (thigh) and Higginbotham (back) are definitely out of the game at Craven Cottage and Andy Wilkinson (back) is another doubt, so Steven Kelly is on standby.With Mamady Sidibe, Amdy Faye and Salif Diao absent and having treatment, Pulis is missing a clutch of key men but he has faith in his fringe players."It's a chance for those that have been around the fringes to step forward and do the best they possibly can," he said."You look at the system we play Mama and James both slot into that role with Ric (Fuller) up front but now we've only got Ric and Henri (Camara) who are two similar players who I'm not sure I can play together."But Cressy knows the system well and we've got the option of playing Seyi (Olofinjana) there as well because he's played there before."Then at full-back we've got Danny Pugh and Carl Dickinson so it's a decision really between those four players for the two positions. Then if Andy (Wilkinson) isn't fit we've got Andy Griffin or Steven Kelly, so we have got cover."Potters (from): Sorensen, Wilkinson, Griffin, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Davies, Dickinson, Lawrence, Delap, Whelan, Etherington, Fuller, Simonsen, Cresswell, Pugh, Kelly, Olofinjana, Tonge, Sonko, Camara, Cort.[LNB]
