Stoke City injury news as Mark Robins delivers Ben Wilmot update after X-ray
Ben Wilmot has sustained soft tissue damage but no fracture as he is resigned to a spell on the sidelines which won’t be quite as long as first feared.
The 25-year-old defender needed an X-ray on his foot after kicking through the bottom of Terry Devlin’s boot when Devlin made a full-blooded slide tackle in injury time of Stoke’s 3-1 defeat at Portsmouth on Wednesday night. He joins a crowded treatment room at Clayton Wood – with nine players currently ruled out – but it might have been worse.
Mark Robins said: “Ben went for an x-ray and it cleared up there was no fracture, so that’s a positive. There’s soft tissue damage and bone damage I think but no fracture. There’s bruising and he’ll have a period of time out but it won’t be as long as we may have feared when the injury happened and his reaction to the knock.”
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Ben Gibson, Lynden Gooch, Million Manhoef, Sam Gallagher, Eric Bocat, Jordan Thompson, Ben Pearson, Sol Sidibe have all been missing for all or part of Robins’ first three weeks as manager.
Robins said: “There’s, I think, seven players out who would walk straight into the starting line-up if they are performing and they’re fit. It has a major impact on a squad and for us it’s impacting seriously and affecting the players that are fit because some of them may need a breather, some may need to come out. We’ve spoken about the amount of games that we’ve had recently and, on top of that, the games that were prior to the busy period over Christmas and the New Year.
“But it is what it is and if they can get through this period unscathed it makes them more robust. Obviously mentally there’s a bit of a drain on that but you’ve got to get through those periods and re-focus between games so you’re ready to go and execute a game plan.
“Sometimes when you’re tired you can drift through a game because concentration levels aren’t where they need to be. The other night wasn’t necessarily concentration, it was not doing the basics well enough and we have to make sure that we can get a group together that can cope with it because I’m sure Gary Rowett has watched it and I’m sure there will be more of the same coming tomorrow and the weather will obviously have an impact on the game and we’ve got to be ready.
“I’m looking forward to it, the first time in three weeks we’re back at home. It’s seeing the supporters again for only the second time in our stadium so for me it’s an exciting day and one everyone should be looking forward to and we’ll be looking forward to.”
The absence of Wilmot means Michael Rose is on standby to make his first start since Robins took over, having previously played under him at Coventry.
Rose was in the Coventry team that won promotion from League One but he turned down a contract offer to leave and sign for Stoke as a free agent but manager and player seem to have a good relationship.
Robins said: “Rosey is a really good lad, a really good player and a rubbish person out of the team, which is a good thing. He doesn’t like being out of the team but he gets his head down and he works and that’s all you can ask from people. I don’t expect anyone to be delighted and do a jig when they’re out of the team but the way he’s conducted himself has been acceptable, he’s been good and he’s worked hard on the grass, waiting patiently for an opportunity – and he’ll get an opportunity.”
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