Stoke will want to cement their top half standing on Saturday and stop Blackpool edging ahead of them.
Potters keen to stretch unbeaten run against Seasiders
Stoke will want to cement their top half standing on Saturday and stop Blackpool edging ahead of them.
The Potters have been in fine form of late, going unbeaten through their last five Premier League fixtures.
This is now their best run of the season so far and Tony Pulis will be keen to maintain that momentum this weekend.
He will fancy his chances of picking up more points against the Seasiders as Stoke are a formidable proposition on home soil.
They have lost just two of their last seven games at the Britannia Stadium, with Manchester United and Tottenham the only sides to have left with maximum points.
Blackpool's recent record on the road also suggests that the Potters could be in for a productive afternoon.
Ian Holloway's men have alternated between scoring two and failing to score in their last eight away games, and should that run continue on Saturday they would fail to find the target.
They have also kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 top flight fixtures, giving the Potters hope.
The Seasiders continue to hold their own among England's elite, though, and a run which has seen them lose only one of their last six matches proves that they will be no pushovers.
Team news
Stoke are hoping that they will be able to welcome back two key men on Saturday.
Andy Wilkinson and Jermaine Pennant are both expected to come back into contention after shaking off knee and hamstring niggles, respectively.
Salif Diao will be unavailable to Tony Pulis, though, as he continues to nurse a calf problem.
Mamady Sidibe is another long-term absentee as he works his way back to full fitness following an Achilles injury.
Blackpool have no fresh injury worries ahead of their trip to the Britannia Stadium.
Ludovic Sylvestre could return after a hamstring strain, while Alex Baptiste is continuing his recovery from a knee problem.
Matt Gilks, Chris Basham, Billy Clarke (all knee), Marlon Harewood (hamstring) and Louis Almond (shoulder) remain sidelined.
Summer signing Malaury Martin, who damaged his knee shortly after joining the Seasiders, is back in training with the club following a period of rehabilitation in France and is expected to make his debut in January.
Possible starting XIs
Stoke: Begovic, Higginbotham, Huth, Shawcross, Collins, Pennant, Whitehead, Delap, Etherington, Jones, Fuller.
Blackpool: Kingson, Eardley, Evatt, Cathcart, Crainey, Taylor-Fletcher, Vaughan, Adam, Grandin, Varney, Campbell.
