Whelan a doubt for Stoke

Tony Pulis hopes Glenn Whelan will have recovered from a groin strain in time for Stoke’s trip to Blackburn in the Barclays Premier League tomorrow.

Whelan suffered the injury in the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup play-off with France, but returned to training with the Potters this week.

Club captain Abdoulaye Faye is available again having missed last Sunday’s 1-0 win over Portsmouth through suspension.

Provisional squad: Sorensen, Faye, Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Collins, Delap, Whelan, Whitehead, Diao, Etherington, Beattie, Tuncay, Fuller, Higginbotham, Cort, Lawrence, Pugh, Simonsen, Sidibe.