Blackpool v Stoke preview

Team news ahead of Saturday afternoon's Premier League clash between Blackpool and Stoke at Bloomfield Road.

Last Updated: 29/04/11 at 09:21

Beattie: Fit to face former club

Beattie: Fit to face former club

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway should have a virtually full squad to choose from.

Striker James Beattie has been feeling unwell but trained on Thursday and Holloway expects Stephen Crainey to be available despite the defender sustaining a toe problem.

David Carney, whose season has been ended by a shoulder injury, is the only definite absentee.

Stoke will be without influential winger Matthew Etherington after he tore a hamstring in the midweek win over Wolves.

The 29-year-old faces a race against time to be fit for the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 14 but striker Ricardo Fuller is definitely out after it was confirmed this week he suffered a ruptured Achilles in the draw with Aston Villa last weekend.

Dean Whitehead, who replaced Etherington against Wolves, will hope to be given the chance to stake his claim for a cup final spot while John Carew could be given his first start in almost two months. Danny Higginbotham (knee) is a long-term absentee.

Blackpool (from): Gilks, Eardley, Cathcart, Crainey, Evatt, Southern, Adam, Varney, Taylor-Fletcher, Campbell, Grandin, Baptiste, Sylvestre, Puncheon, Vaughan, Phillips, Ormerod, Beattie, Reid, Kornilenko, Rachubka, Kingson.

Stoke (from): Begovic, Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson, Pennant, Whelan, Delap, Jones, Walters, Sorensen, Whitehead, Diao, Collins, Faye, Pugh, Carew.

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Premier League Fixtures

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Barclays Premier League

Position Team P GD PTS
1 Man Utd 38 43 89
2 Man City 38 32 78
3 Chelsea 38 36 75
4 Arsenal 38 35 73
5 Tottenham 38 20 72
6 Everton 38 15 63
7 Liverpool 38 28 61
8 West Brom 38 -4 49
9 Swansea 38 -4 46
10 West Ham 38 -8 46
11 Norwich 38 -17 44
12 Fulham 38 -10 43
13 Stoke City 38 -11 42
14 Southampton 38 -11 41
15 A Villa 38 -22 41
16 Newcastle 38 -23 41
17 Sunderland 38 -13 39
18 Wigan 38 -26 36
19 Reading 38 -30 28
20 QPR 38 -30 25

Updated Sun, 19 May 2013

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