Beattie on the bench for Stoke

Stoke striker James Beattie – alleged to have had a dressing-room bust-up with manager Tony Pulis after last week’s defeat at Arsenal – has been named as a substitute for the visit of Wigan today.

Pulis said he had drawn a line under the incident and if the 31-year-old recovered from a knee injury he would be in the squad, and he duly takes his place on the bench.

Stoke’s three changes see defender Ryan Shawcross (injury), midfielder Dean Whitehead (suspension) and striker Ricardo Fuller return at the expense of Danny Collins, Liam Lawrence (ill) and Mamady Sidibe.

Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has recovered the back spasm which forced him off in last week’s 3-2 defeat to Birmingham so the only changes sees Jordi Gomez replace the suspended Hendry Thomas and Jason Koumas come in for Jason Scotland in a 4-5-1 formation.

Stand-in keeper Mike Pollitt’s father died in midweek so his place on the bench was taken by Richard Kingson.

Stoke: Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Huth, Delap, Diao, Whitehead, Etherington, Fuller, Sanli.

Subs: Simonsen, Higginbotham, Whelan, Beattie, Sidibe, Pugh, Collins.

Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Boyce, Bramble, Figueroa, Gomez, Koumas, Diame, Scharner, N’Zogbia, Rodallega.

Subs: Kingson, Amaya, Cho, Scotland, Sinclair, De Ridder, McCarthy.

Referee: Mike Dean.