Stoke will be monitoring the fitness of both striker James Beattie and keeper Thomas Sorenson after they with subbed off during the first half of last weeks heart wrenching defeat at home to Chelsea. Mama Sidibe is back in training but is a few weeks away from a game and Ryan Shawcross has reportedly been suffering from growing pains recently so may be rested. Amdy Faye is likely to be ruled out again, bit was unlikely to feature anyway.
The Potters have started with two wins, two defeats, both to top four sides, and a draw but haven't scored a goal in there two away games so far. Bolton usually make the Reebok a fortress but have lost both home games so far and although they have managed to score a few goals lately they have consistently leaked goals throughout. The Potters should hold an advantage on recent form.
Last season the home side won both these encounters comfortably, the Trotters winning 3-1 on the opening day at the Reebok, whilst the Potters easily beat the men from Bolton by two goals to nil at the Britannia Stadium. It's been six visits since Stoke last won at Bolton, a 1-0 win in October 1990. There have been fourty meetings between these sides at Bolton and the hosts have won half of them with Stoke triumphing eight times. The overall record reads better for the Potters, they have thirty victories to Bolton's 32 in eighty games.
Stoke will almost definately change from the 5-3-2 formation deployed last week and Pulis has some tough decisions to make to try and squeeze all his players into the starting XI. All the back five made themselves undroppable last week so Abdy Faye may move into midfield with Delap taking up a wide berth and either Whitehead or Whelan unluckily dropping to the bench. Fuller will surely start alongside Kitson and either Lawrence, Tuncay or Etherington will come in to play on a wing, with a chance of two coming in for the wide berths.
Prediction: Stoke to switch back to 4-4-2 and after stemming the early pressure and creating pressure from a frustrated home crowd, A.D. Faye smashes in a header from a set piece to secure the three points against his former club.