March 4th, 1972 - without doubt the best day in the near 150 year history of Stoke City Football Club, Wembley glory with a win over Chelsea in the League Cup final and the club's only major honour to date. 38 years on and the competition has lost some of its prestige, but it still has a very special place in the hearts of very many Potters fans, from the old who remember it fondly, to the young who wish they'd been there. Every year therefore, dreams of a League Cup run and more major silverware are rife among the Britannia Stadium faithful. With the club in its strongest state for some decades, just maybe this could be the year. A home victory over Premier League rivals Fulham in tonight's third round encounter would take those dreams one step closer to being a reality.
TEAM NEWS
Many top flight managers often choose to leave out some of their more influential players in League Cup matches, but for Stoke's Tony Pulis the decision is somewhat forced by the fact that three first team names are ruled out after picking up injuries in Saturday's draw with West Ham. Strikers Kenwyne Jones, who has scored twice in the last eight days, and Jonathan Walters, and winger Jermaine Pennant will all miss out with groin, ankle and hamstring problems respectively. This could pave the way for Icelandic Champions League winner Eidur Gudjohnsen to be handed a first start in Stoke colours and a much needed chance to gain match fitness, as in his fifteen minute cameo on Saturday it appeared the former Barcelona and Chelsea man had been studying at the Jon Parkin school of forward play. The chance to see such an unquestionably talented attacking player will no doubt excite the home fans, who can buy tickets for the match on the night, though. Gudjohnsen could well be partnered by forgotten man Tuncay, who has been left out of Pulis's last two Premier League squads.
Pulis is also likely to give some of his fringe players, including left back Danny Higginbotham and midfielder Danny Pugh a place in his squad of eighteen, while goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is likely to be rested, allowing his Bosnian understudy Asmir Begović to play only his fifth Stoke game, which will be a story in itself given that he allegedly refused to take to the field in the last round of the competition against Shrewsbury. Veteran stopper Carlo Nash ended up playing that night, and will most likely be on the bench tonight.
Fulham manager Mark Hughes is also likely to rest a number of his bigger name players, but will definitely be without star striker Bobby Zamora after he broke his leg in a challenge with former Stoke midfielder Karl Henry last weekend, as well as defenders Rafik Halliche and Fredrik Stoor, who both have groin injuries.
Possible Stoke Side:
Begović
Wilkinson Shawcross Huth Higginbotham
Delap Whelan Wilson Etherington
Gudjohnsen Tuncay
Subs: Nash, Collins, Whitehead, Tonge, Lund, Soares, Fuller
Possible Fulham Side:
Schwarzer
Kelly Hughes Baird Salcido
Riise Dikcagoi Greening Duff
Gera Dembele
Subs: Zuberbuhler, Pantsil, Dempsey, Etuhu, Davies, Elm, E. Johnson
FORM
Fulham have had a largely bright start to the Premier League season under new boss Hughes after the departure of Roy Hodgson to Liverpool. They currently sit seventh in the Premier League and are yet to taste defeat this term with a win and four draws from their league matches so far. They also have good pedigree against Potteries sides in the League Cup, having thumped Port Vale 6-0 in the last round. Stoke made a poor start to the campaign, losing their opening three Premier League matches, but have since picked up, taking four points from the last two. Stoke's recent record against Fulham is good, having done the double over the Londoners last year, with a very entertaining 3-2 home win on a freezing January night and a fine 1-0 away triumph at Craven Cottage in May. Historically though, Fulham just have the edge, having won 27 of the clubs' 67 meetings to Stoke's 25. Fifteen have been drawn.
PLAYER LINKS
None of the current Stoke squad has ever represented Fulham, but Fulham right back Stephen Kelly did play six Premier League games on loan for the Potters two seasons ago. Cottagers striker Diomansy Kamara, meanwhile, is one of the few Senegalese players in English football who has not represented Stoke over the last few years. Other players to have represented both clubs include current Vale manager Micky Adams (Stoke 1994 (loan), Fulham 1994-97), defender Cliff Carr (Stoke 1987-91, Fulham 1982-87) and Gabriel Zakuani (Stoke 2007 & 2007-08 (loans), Fulham 2006-09)
THE REFEREE
Premier League official Mark Halsey will take charge of the game. The 49 year-old from Hertfordshire has recently overcome cancer to return to the pitch. He last took charge of Stoke in January 2009 when the Potters embarrassingly lost at Hartlepool in the FA Cup, but he also refereed the club's historical first Premier League win, over Aston Villa, the previous August. His last assignment to a Fulham game was also saw a home win over Aston Villa, 3-1, in May 2009.
THE WEATHER
Though today's officially the first day of autumn, the conditions at the Britannia Stadium tonight should be pleasant, dry and with today's peak temperature being a balmy 19 degrees centigrade.
PREDICTION
The League Cup has been a good competition for Stoke since they gained promotion back to the top flight, and I foresee this continuing tonight with a 2-1 win with the Stoke goals coming from Tuncay and Glenn Whelan and Moussa Dembele on target for Fulham. Stoke City 2-1 Fulham