Stoke City: Match tactics for the Premier League clash at Ewood Park

TONY Pulis will feel he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

He's bound to upset someone, not to mention a few fans, whichever way he goes with regard to Andy Wilkinson, Robert Huth and Abdoulaye Faye.

Recent history suggests the unfortunate Wilkinson will make way to accommodate Faye's return from suspension.

Pulis will certainly want Huth's aerial prowess at Ewood Park against a Blackburn side winning five and drawing one of its last six games on home soil.

Rovers have options in attack, but the word locally is that Benni McCarthy will start on the bench to leave Jason Roberts, pictured right, and Argentinian Franco di Santo in attack.

Either way, Stoke cannot afford the dreadful defensive lapses undermining their efforts on their last visit to Ewood Park almost 12 months ago.

AGAIN, plenty of options now that Glenn Whelan appears to have shaken off a groin injury and Liam Lawrence is back down to earth after that Irish nightmare in Paris.

Rory Delap, by his own admission, has not been his usual self out on the right recently, so there is a possibility of accommodating him and his long throws in central midfield.

That would open the door for Lawrence's return on the right, ensuring both energy and cutting edge on either flank during the continued upsurge in Matthew Etherington's form out on the left.

Received wisdom suggests that Blackburn's most creative and influential player remains David Dunn, so plenty of discipline and mobility is required to prevent him sliding unattended into dangerous territory.

The probable presence of El Hadji Diouf out on the Blackburn left and Brett Emerton on their right is a reminder of the potential quality confronting City out wide tomorrow.

JAMES Beattie remains in cotton wool between matches, but wild horses surely won't keep him out of this re-union with his hometown club.

Ricardo Fuller's first league goal last Sunday – one which looks better and better every time you see it – should work wonders for the confidence said to be ailing until that landmark strike.

Blackburn boast plenty of height and power at the heart of their defence in the shape of New Zealander Ryan Nelsen and Christopher Samba.

So Fuller's ability to work the channels and drag such defenders out of their comfort zone, particularly on the break, could be pivotal to Stoke's chances in front of goal.

And quick shooting from the 15- to 25-yard range will surely be encouraged if Stoke are to test out Paul Robinson's allegedly slower feet these days.