STOKE v Chelsea: Matthew Upson out but Jonathan Woodgate could feature

Tony Pulis has ruled out the possibility of Matthew Upson making his Stoke debut in Sunday's Barclays Premier League opener against Chelsea at the Britannia Stadium. The former West Ham defender, who joined the Potters this week, is not yet ready for competitive action but fellow new signing Jonathan Woodgate could feature. Matt finish: Upson finalised his move to Stoke earlier this week Stoke boss Pulis is hopeful Rory Delap (hamstring) and Matthew Etherington (rib) will overcome niggles while Ricardo Fuller, Mamady Sidibe and Danny Higginbotham are long-term absentees. Provisional squad: Begovic, Wilkinson, Shotton, Huth, Shawcross, Woodgate, Collins, Wilson, Pennant, Whelan, Delap, Etherington, Jones, Walters, Whitehead, Diao, Pugh, Sorensen. CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND TEAM NEWS IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Source: Daily_Mail