A surge of serious injuries to key players, including Ben Wilmot and Ki-Jana Hoever, are being managed by Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium.Ben Wilmot left the bet365 Stadium on crutches and Ki-Jana Hoever is awaiting further assessment as Stoke City’s incredible injury woes continued against Southampton.
Alex Neil went into the mid-week game – a sixth fixture in 18 days – without eight players including six probable starters after a succession of major blows through the opening few weeks of the season. And a stretcher was then summoned for centre-back Wilmot when he crashed into a post while Hoever limped off in the closing stages.
In response, Mehdi Leris, who had started the game as a center forward, moved to right back, Jordan Thompson, a midfielder, to left back, Junior Tchamadeu, a right back making his first Stoke start at left back, and Luke McNally, who had been called up, to center half.
Michael Rose at center back, Enda Stevens on the left (calf), and
Lynden Gooch on the right (hamstring) were already on the sidelines. Stoke is hoping that at least one of Rose or Gooch, who both hobbled out of last weekend’s victory at Bristol City, will be deemed fit for Saturday’s away game against Leicester City.Get a free ebook on how to trade like a pro.
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When Deriv Lewis Baker and Emre Tezgel suffered severe knee and quad injuries in the preseason, the treatment room slowly began to fill up around them. The front line that Stoke may have selected in the first place, consisting of Ryan Mmaee, Andre Vidigal, and Tyrese Campbell, is all injured. Mmaee (hamstring) has missed seven and a half games, and Vidigal, who had an ankle injury against Millwall in late August, has only played roughly 80 minutes in the last eight games. Campbell suffered a hamstring injury in the first moments of a September match against Hull.
In addition to Baker and Tezgel, Neil noted that we were missing six more guys. Campbell, Mmaee, and Vidigal make up our entire frontline but are not available. Natural left-back Enda Stevens, who has a strong left foot, is out. We lose Ben first, then Ki-Jana, and Gooch and Rose are missing. Yes, it is difficult.
Stoke has looked into the free agency market to increase their numbers in specific positions, but as no deals were completed in the week after deadline day, they have appeared doubtful. In light of the present line to see the physios, it is unclear if they will take another look at that route.
There is room to bring in a free agent, but doing so now won’t solve our immediate problem because they won’t be ready for a month, according to Neil.
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