Yahoo News Stoke City team news vs Portsmouth as striker makes full debut
Sam Gallagher makes his full debut for Stoke City as Narcis Pelach names an attacking line-up at home against Portsmouth.
Gallagher, a summer signing from Blackburn Rovers, made his entrance from the bench at Middlesbrough on Saturday after recovering from a calf injury picked up in pre-season. He will start up front next to Tom Cannon this evening (7.45pm).
Ben Wilmot is expected to start at right-back, with Enda Stevens in for his first league start of the season. It's Ben Gibson and Michael Rose in the middle of defence. Wouter Burger is joined in midfield by Andrew Moran with Bae Junho on the left and Lewis Koumas on the right.
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Jordan Thompson, Junior Tchamadeu and Eric Bocat drop to the bench while Million Manhoef drops out with injury. Ashley Phillips, back from concussion protocol, is named among the subs.
Pelach said in his pre-match press conference: "The idea is to be more aggressive, offensively and defensively. I want to see the team be more like we were in the first 30 minutes against Hull City, when we were front foot, tried to win the ball back high up the pitch and also, when we had the ball, go forward with a real purpose of attacking and getting shots off. That’s what we have been working on. We want to be much. much more aggressive of course with our ideas and the new direction we are going with but trying to be much more aggressive."
Stoke City: Johansson, Wilmot, Rose, Gibson, Stevens, Moran, Burger, Junho, Koumas, Gallagher, Cannon. Subs: Bonham, Tchamadeu, Bocat, Phillips, Thompson, Seko, Sidibe, Vidigal, Tezgel.
Portsmouth: Norris, Ogilvie, Poole, Pack, Potts, O'Mahony, McIntyre, Swanson, Murphy, Blair, Lane. Subs: Schmid, Williams, Towler, Saydee, Sorensen, Silvera, Dozzell, Kamara, Ritchie.
