Stoke City welcome back Wouter Burger to their first-team squad for the visit of Preston North End on Tuesday evening. The midfielder was suspended and as a consequence missed the 1-1 draw with Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, but with that ban now served Narcis Pelach is able to welcome Burger back into the squad this week.
Another midfielder will be missing, however; Jordan Thompson came on as a substitute at Loftus Road in the latter stages of the game and he collected a yellow card during his cameo – and now he must complete a one-match suspension himself.
Loanee Andy Moran will be assessed before Pelach makes the call on whether to include him in the squad. Irish international Moran, borrowed from Brighton and Hove Albion this season, was also missing over the weekend after reporting ill overnight. The club’s medical staff are set to advise Pelach on his availability.
“We have recovered Burger, who was suspended, but we lose Jordan Thompson to suspension as well,” Pelach explained. “We had Andy Moran ill the morning of the game against QPR, but he is going to get an assessment now to see if he can be available. If he’s not available for Preston, he will be available for Burnley.
“We need to assess him and see if he’s ready to go. If he’s not, he won’t play, because I want healthy players on the pitch and they need to be able to give everything for the team.”
Meanwhile, Lynden Gooch has returned to training this weekend and, as of now, has been cleared to make his return to competitive action at Pelach’s discretion. Gooch was injured in the final game of Steven Schumacher’s reign, at Oxford United, and hasn’t featured since.
