Stoke v Blackpool preview

Selection headache for Pulis this weekend

Last updated: 21st March 2008

Ricardo Fuller

Fuller: Out suspended

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High-flying Stoke have a number of injury worries for the visit of Blackpool on Saturday.

Liam Lawrence, Ricardo Fuller and Ryan Shawcross will all miss their weekend encounter through suspension.

Midfielder Lawrence, who on Thursday agreed a one-year contract extension with the club, serves the second of his two-match ban while striker Fuller and defender Shawcross start two-game suspensions of their own.

Boss Tony Pulis has plenty of attacking options at his disposal to replace Fuller, with Paul Gallagher and Jon Parkin both vying to start.

Danny Pugh and Andy Wilkinson are also battling to replace Shawcross.

Mamady Sidibe, meanwhile, is still struggling with the hamstring injury which forced him to sit out last Saturday's 0-0 draw at Watford and is facing a race against time to face the Seasiders.

Midfielder Dominic Matteo returned to action earlier this week for the reserves after overcoming a foot injury, but the game at the Britannia Stadium is likely to come too soon for the 33-year-old.

Debutant

Grant Holt is in line to make his Blackpool debut this weekend after joining on loan from Nottingham Forest for the remainder of the season.

Holt has seen his opportunities limited due to the form of Nathan Tyson, Junior Agogo and recent loan signing Brett Ormerod.

His arrival is a welcome boost to a forward line almost certain to be missing on-loan Manchester City striker Paul Dickov, who is nursing a hamstring injury.

Blackpool boss Simon Grayson said: "Dickie will be back before the end of the season. Whether he's fit for the weekend, we'll have to assess the situation."

The Seasiders' only other absentee should be captain Michael Jackson, who remains a long-term absentee with his hamstring injury.