Sadly, Stoke City suffers. According to Fabrizio, five players of their starting eleven are sidelined for four months during this pre-season because of……

News from Gresty Road as Stoke City take on Crewe Alexandra in a pre-season friendly

Ben Gibson is back from a minor injury to lead Stoke City out in the third friendly of pre-season, at Crewe Alexandra.

The summer signing centre-half sat out of last week’s 5-0 win at Cork while he nursed a back problem but he is straight back in for this one. Josh Laurent, who was also rested due to a hamstring strain, is back too and takes a place on the bench.

It is a strong side named by Steven Schumacher against his old club, with players expected to be given a 60-minute run out in a step up from the first couple of weeks of pre-season.

Viktor Johansson starts in goal behind a back four of Gibson, Junior Tchamadeu, Eric Bocat, and Ben Wilmot. It’s Wouter Burger, Jordan Thompson and Lewis Baker in midfield and Million Manhoef and Bae Junho flanking Emre Tezgel up front.

Sol Sidibe, Jaden Dixon and Nathan Lowe are among the younger names on the bench with Stoke also set to take on Stockport County on Saturday before heading to Bolton Wanderers next Tuesday.

Stoke: Johansson, Tchamadeu, Wilmot, Gibson, Bocat, Thompson, Burger, Baker, Manhoef, Junho, Tezgel. Subs: Bonham, Fielding, Gooch, Stevens, Rose, Vidigal, Johnson, Ennis, Leris, Laurent, Sidibe, Lowe, Dixon.