Stoke midfielder Luke Chadwick hopes to bring an end to his fitness struggle.
Stoke midfielder Luke Chadwick will seek the help of a specialist in a bid to overcome an abdominal problem.
Despite being unable to train, Chadwick, on loan from West Ham until the New Year, has missed just one league match.
Assistant manager Jan De Koning hopes that Friday's visit will bring an end to the 24-year-old's injury-plagued start to the season.
"Luke will see a specialist tomorrow and hopefully he will be sorted out soon," De Koning told the club's official website.
"His injury means he can't train but can play on a match day."
Chadwick will be in contention to face Reading at the weekend - the club with whom he spent several months on loan back in 2003.
The former Manchester United trainee's continued involvement has been offset, however, by the loss of Michael Duberry and Hannes Sigurdsson for the clash with the high-flying Royals.
Skipper Duberry will serve the first game of a three-match ban while Sigurdsson has been sidelined with a punctured lung.
Gerry Taggart looks set to replace Duberry in the heart of defence while the captaincy will be conferred to David Brammer.
