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Duo set to be named in Stoke City squad vs Cardiff as Narcis Pelach to receive midfield Christmas present
Sam Gallagher will be back on the bench for Stoke City this weekend as Bosun Lawal comes into contention to make his debut – and Ben Pearson is primed to give Narcis Pelach a Christmas present by returning to training for the first time since April.
Gallagher has had a frustrating time at Stoke since joining from Blackburn in the summer, with a calf injury and hamstring problem respectively ruling him out before and after a couple of star turns in early October.
But he will be in the squad for a crunch home fixture against Cardiff on Saturday (3pm) and Narcis Pelach is hopeful that he will be able to get the best out of players around him as well as offering something different to his other forwards.
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The head coach said: “It will help a lot to have Sam Gallagher back – and he comes back this weekend. We’re all very happy to have him back. He’s only had two games since I’ve been here and we all know what he can bring and how he played against Portsmouth and Swansea.
“He’s an experienced player so it’s not only what he does but the effect he has on the players next to him. I think we get a better Junho, a better Million, a better Tezgel, a better anyone who plays in there, Andy Moran, because he’s a player who understands the game, he has very good movement off the ball. All of a sudden you have better options on the ball, with the ball and without the ball.
“His decision making defensively is really good as well.
“He’s going to be back, he’s going to be on the bench, and then hopefully we can see him for a little bit of time. We have to be careful as well, we cannot just play him without a limitation of minutes.”
Gallagher will not be expected to churn out full 90 minutes at this stage as Stoke try to make sure he stays available for as much as possible.
Pelach said: “We have to manage him in order to give him a good platform to build confidence as well because he’s had two injuries so far. He’s very important for us so we need to be clever as well and there will be moments maybe when we want him on the pitch but we won’t be able to leave him on the pitch.
“But we understand that for the bigger picture that it’s good to have Sam available and we have Tom Cannon as well, another great striker, and we will need to share a little bit the game time here.”
Lawal has had to be patient since a medical when he signed from Celtic in August flagged up a stress fracture in his lower back that he had unwittingly played with all through last season. Rest and recuperation was ordered but he could be among the substitutes against Cardiff.
Pelach said: “Bosun Lawal for the first time will be available for selection. With Bosun it’s different (than Gallagher) because he didn’t do pre-season, he’s going to be making in his Championship and he’s been a long time without football. We have to be careful not to throw him in too quick and we have to give him a chance to be fit as well in order to be successful.”
Pearson missed the end of last season with a hamstring injury that eventually required off-season surgery. He was expected to return in October but suffered a set-back as he picked up training.
Pelach said this morning: “I’ve spoken to (Pearson) today at the team meeting and I said to him that I just want him back. He looks much, much, much more fit than when I first came and I’m very happy with him. He’s making a big effort to come back. I haven’t been able to coach him so far but his body is in a much better place than it was. He is making big strides to come back and we are waiting for him.
“He’s another player who brings experience and he knows the game. I’ve played against him at Bournemouth and Preston so I know him well. He can bring a little bit of composure and maybe in 10 days, 15 days, he will start to train with the team.”
Ben Gibson and Enda Stevens are bidding to return to the starting XI this weekend after being named on the bench at Luton on Tuesday following illness and a calf injury respectively.
Pelach said: “Ben Gibson was on the bench but he was ill until the last minute and he had some personal issues as well. We brought him to help the team with the idea that he might only be able to play 10 or 15 minutes.
“Enda is fit and ready to go as well. This is really positive. I think we’re managing the load very, very well which in the Championship is difficult. We are rotating the squad a little bit as well to give time to other players to try to limit the risk of injury.
“We are really close to having a full squad, when Ben Pearson comes back, and hopefully we achieve that. It is something we need to do well in the way that we coach on the pitch and off the pitch because that gives you success in the Championship.”
