Stoke City team news vs Cork as Josh Laurent out and son of England icon starts
Steven Schumacher has named his starting XI for the second friendly of pre-season
Freddie Anderson gets a call up to start for Stoke City against Cork this evening in the second friendly of pre-season.
The 17-year-old centre-half steps up alongside Ben Wilmot at Turner’s Cross as new signing Ben Gibson, who captained Stoke at Chester last week, misses out. Josh Laurent, who was captain last season and has been at the centre of transfer speculation, is also absent as the duo are nursing injuries. Stoke have confirmed that Gibson (back spasm) and Laurent (hamstring) will watch on “as a precautionary measure”.
Anderson joined Stoke from Manchester City last summer and is the son of England and Nottingham Forest hero Viv Anderson. He signed his first professional contract when he turned 17 in October and there are high hopes for his future. Jaden Dixon, another 17-year-old centre-back, is on the bench.
Viktor Johansson starts in goal while Anderson joins Junior Tchamadeu, Enda Stevens and Wilmot in the back line. It’s Jordan Thompson, Wouter Burger and Lewis Baker in midfield and Andre Vidigal and Bae Junho flanking Niall Ennis up front.
