Bassong May Get The Call At Stoke!

Last updated : 11 April 2009 By Footy Mad - Editor

The Frenchman has returned to training after the groin injury which kept him out of last weekend's 2-0 defeat by Chelsea.

However, Steven Taylor (ankle) and Jose Enrique (knee) have already been ruled out, as has midfielder Peter Lovenkrands, who was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties as the result of a chest infection during Saturday's game.

Teenage striker Nile Ranger is included in the squad, while Joey Barton (fractured metatarsal) and Mark Viduka (Achilles) are expected to return to full training next week.

NEWCASTLE UNITED (from): Harper, Forster, Krul, Beye, Bassong, Coloccini, Edgar, Cacapa, Butt, Duff, R. Taylor, Gutierrez, Nolan, Guthrie, Geremi, Smith, Martins, Owen, Carroll, Xisco, Ranger.

Defender Danny Higginbotham should be fit to take his place in an unchanged Stoke side.

Higginbotham only returned to full training on Friday after injuring his back during last Saturday's victory at West Brom but he is expected to be available.

Stoke's Senegal international midfielders Salif Diao and Amdy Faye, who both missed the trip to the Hawthorns with knocks, are struggling to recover in time.

STOKE CITY (from): Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Delap, Whelan, Etherington, Beattie, Fuller, Simonsen, Pugh, Cresswell, Olofinjana, Kelly, Camara, Sonko, Amdy Faye, Diao, Cort, Tonge, Griffin.