Stoke City injury latest as Mark Robins delivers updates on Wouter Burger and Sam Gallagher
Stoke City team news ahead of mid-week clash with Middlesbrough in the Championship
To find out if he can rejoin Stoke City’s midfield against Middlesbrough, Wouter Burger will have to take a late fitness test.
The 24-year-old midfielder suffered a knee injury during Stoke’s victory over Swansea the previous weekend, therefore he was unable to play in Saturday’s trip to Norwich. He is hoping to approve Mark Robins’ participation on Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. once he has resumed his training
According to Robins, “He’s fine, he’s training on the grass.” We cannot take any chances with him since he felt a little uneasy, and I wouldn’t want to do that. We’re just counting on Wouter to let us know when he’s prepared to leave.
After missing two months due to a knee injury of his own, Burger’s teammate Million Manhoef, a member of the Netherlands youth international squad, is back in play. The 23-year-old winger has been substituted in the previous two games, and Robins has been pleased with his influence, but he is aware that his reintroduction must be handled sensibly.
We are aware that he is a really talented player, Robins stated. He is capable of igniting things, as seen by his cameo and the performance from the prior week.
It takes time to bring athletes up to speed after they have been out for a while. We are currently waiting for those things, and although it might be stressful for everyone and you want to give it your all, you are dependent on the players and the medical staff to show how much they are capable of.
For the first time since Robins’ first game as manager on January 4, Sam Gallagher, who missed a month and a half due to a hamstring issue, made a cameo appearance at Norwich.
The 29-year-old striker’s season has been ruined by almost consecutive injuries thus far, and Stoke has been trying to figure out how to make adjustments so he can remain available for the upcoming months and beyond.
In terms of his physical attributes, Robins stated: “I believe he is a very strong and powerful player who still needs to learn how to use his strength and power to obtain the most benefit for himself and for
ourselves. He still has some moves and aspects of the game that we can work on with him to increase his overall output when he challenges for the ball and when he is not in possession. These include his landing technique, his running style, his running location, his movements, and his running pace.
He is an all-action player who gives it his all, but his movements must have some degree of control. Given how he plays, it’s hardwired into him, so it’s easier said than done. It’s simply something that he does. Perhaps we can change his impact on our team if we can shift that focus a little.
He’s been saying that for a while since it’s been a stop-start period for him, but in his mind, he’s ready to go and raring to get moving. He is incredibly smart, and we need him on the field, so maybe we can capitalize on that for everyone’s advantage. He wants to perform in front of the fans every single week, and we want to show off his extensive talent.
Stoke enters this match with a five-point lead over the relegation zone and hopes to start chasing down the mid-table teams. They currently rank 19th in the Championship.
“It’s a good opportunity, game 34 in the season, and we’re playing catch up a little bit,” Robins stated. Only five points separate us from the teams above us, but only three points separate us from moving up the ladder a bit. We must concentrate on that. We will be able to catch up to the teams above us and begin to move into regions where we can begin to compete if we win this game.
“People discuss mid-table obscurity, and right now, I’d accept that. I believe that in order to move forward, we must start somewhere and develop, and this is undoubtedly a time when we must ensure that we have some excellent building stones in place. Since it is the following game in our season, this is the most crucial one.
