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Gallagher, Lawal, Stevens - Stoke City injury latest and missing yellow card explained
Stoke City are checking on Enda Stevens after the left-back limped out of a mid-week draw with Preston North End.
The influential 34-year-old defender's schedule is having to be managed after being derailed by too many injuries over the last couple of seasons and he is sharing minutes with Eric Bocat under Narcis Pelach. He sat out of Saturday's draw with Queens Park Rangers but returned to start on Tuesday night, when he played until needing physio treatment on what looked like his lower right leg in the 68th minute.
Pelach said in his post-match press conference: "I haven't talked to the medical staff yet so I'll wait for their assessment and maybe tomorrow morning I will have a clearer idea."
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Lynden Gooch has returned to full training this week, working under Pelach for the first time after picking up a knee injury at Oxford in what turned out to be the final game under Steven Schumacher. He will quickly come into consideration for selection while Bosun Lawal is hoping to join in full training next week before being eased into action.
Lawal, who can play at centre-half, right-back and in central midfield, has had to be patient on the sidelines after a stress fracture in his lower back was picked up when he signed from Celtic in the summer. He had played in Celtic's first two friendlies of pre-season, earning rave reviews from Brendan Rodgers and supporters, before joining them for a tour of the United States - but hasn't been able to take part in a game since joining Stoke on August 12.
It would be no surprise if the 21-year-old - who spent last season on loan at Fleetwood Town - was initially given first team cameos and run outs with the under-21s to build up his fitness and sharpness.
Rodgers had said after a friendly win over Ayr United in the summer: "I really like Bosun. He is a player clearly that has got a lot of physical attributes. But what he has as well is a lot of football ability. Been out on loan and you can see he has had that experience and has that power and quality to break though."
Sam Gallagher is hoping to follow Lawal back into full training and, having played in October, might then be able to quickly work his way back into Pelach's plans. The 29-year-old striker showed his potential impact on this squad in starts against Portsmouth and Swansea alongside Tom Cannon before he suffered a hamstring injury. It was a frustrating blow for a player who had just missed the opening month-and-a-half of the season with a calf problem.
Ben Pearson is said to be making "positive steps in his rehabilitation" at Clayton Wood as he recovers from a hamstring injury that required off-season surgery, having suffered a set-back in his recovery in October.
Jordan Thompson returns to the squad for this Saturday's home match against Burnley (3pm) after serving a one-match ban against Preston. Records kept by PA had Thompson down as having had four yellow cards in the Championship - against Coventry, Watford, Bristol City and QPR - as well as a Carabao Cup booking against Fleetwood Town, but there was a fifth league booking that was not recorded that he picked up for dissent in the 96th minute at Swansea.
Andrew Moran, Ben Gibson and Ben Wilmot are all on four bookings and will face an automatic game on the sidelines if they are cautioned again before the end of Stoke's 19th game of term, away at Sunderland on December 7.
Wouter Burger came back from his ban to collect a sixth booking of the season last night. He will face a two-game ban if his tally reaches 10 before the end of the 37th game of the season, at home against Blackburn Rovers on March 11.
A player will be banned for three matches if they pick up 15 yellow cards over 46 matches, the regular season prior to the play-off games. A player who picks up 20 yellow cards up to and including the last day will have a punishment determined by a regulatory commission.
