Stoke City: Frustrated Faye plays waiting game

AMDY Faye is desperate to make immediate amends for his red card four weeks ago – by receiving a call to arms against Chelsea tomorrow.

And previous experience against Chelsea could increase his chances of returning to action now his three-match ban has expired.

"It has been a very long time for me to be out, but I am fit and happy to be back now," said the Senegalese midfielder.

"I am ready to play again, but I don't know if I will. I am just waiting to see what the gaffer does, whether he puts me in or on the bench.

"It is a big challenge against Chelsea, for me and for the team, but we play at home and we have good fans who make up our team.

"I respect Chelsea so much because I have played against them many times.

"I remember beating them when I was at Newcastle. At Portsmouth we played them three times and lost three times, I think, but only with late goals.

"Maybe that experience gives me a chance of playing this time. I just try to do my best, be fit and then it is up to the gaffer.

"It is very frustrating to see the team play when you cannot play.

"You work hard in the week in training, but then you don't play at the weekend. It gives me a good lesson."

Not that he agrees with the extent of his ban after being red-carded for raising his foot in a tackle during the first half of the 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough on August 30.

"One game is all right, two at a maximum, but three games is too much," he contested. "One month of not playing football is not right.

"I just go for the ball, not the player, and I hardly touched him. But the referee says my right leg was in the air.

"I knew it was a red card, but at the time you are just going for the ball."

And his punishment began the moment he left the field as, unbeknown to him down in the dressing room, Middlesbrough duly opened the scoring from the subsequent free-kick.

"Yes, I didn't know until later they scored from the free-kick. When I found out I felt very bad.

"We need to get good results and we need to keep that going to keep fighting to stay in a good position."

Faye's chances of lining up in central midfield, his starting slot in Stoke's first three Premier League outings, appear to depend on whether Salif Diao gets the thumbs up again following his successful return to the ranks at Liverpool last week.

Strikers Ricardo Fuller and Mama Sidibe hope to recover from knocks suffered against Reading on Tuesday, while defender Ibrahima Sonko is still on the mend after sustaining a leg injury at Liverpool last weekend.

Chelsea will definitely be without injured defender Ricardo Carvalho and Portuguese play-maker Deco as they seek the win they require to leapfrog Arsenal at the top of the table.