Pulis hopes to include Crouch
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is hopeful striker Peter Crouch will be able to return to action in tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League game at Aston Villa.
Crouch, who missed last weekend’s 1-0 victory at West Brom having lost some teeth in a collision with Newcastle’s Fabricio Coloccini in the previous match, has had a mouth guard fitted and is being monitored in training, while Pulis is also optimistic forward Cameron Jerome will be fit for selection after an ankle injury kept him out of the Baggies contest.
It remains to be seen whether or not fellow frontman Michael Owen, sidelined for the last few weeks by a hamstring problem, is ready to feature again, and the Potters will definitely be without midfielders Charlie Adam, who serves a one-match suspension, and Rory Delap (hernia), along with defender Marc Wilson (broken leg).
Provisional squad: Begovic, Sorensen, Huth, Shawcross, Cameron, Upson, Shotton, Wilkinson, Whelan, Etherington, Palacios, Jones, Jerome, Crouch, Walters, Kightly, Edu, Nzonzi, Ness, Whitehead, Owen.
