'A few weeks...' - Stoke City boss Mark Robins delivers double injury update ahead of Sunderland clash

Stoke City manager Mark Robins has delivered a double injury update on his squad ahead of the Potters’ FA Cup third round clash with Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.

The ex-Coventry City boss took charge of his first match for his new club at the weekend, overseeing a 0-0 draw against bottom side Plymouth Argyle in the Championship. As part of that contest, summer signing Sam Gallagher was handed his first start since the beginning of October following a period of injury, and lasted 49 minutes before he was withdrawn from the action.

Reflecting on the attacker’s contribution, Robins said: “Sam felt his hamstrings, I think bilaterally. I think he’s just taken himself out of the firing line a little bit and if he’s done that at the right time, brilliant, he’s saved himself and it’s just tiredness, fatigue. If he’s starting to understand his body like that then great. It means we can really start to build him up without getting him injured.

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“I wanted to keep him on for an hour. I played him because I wanted to try to get after them. I think he’s got the power and the pace and the know-how to be able to score and almost did at times. We got him into decent positions but we were reaching for things, over-reaching and stretching when we were moving the ball but other than that, if you can’t win, don’t lose.”

Robins also offered an update on left-back Eric-Junior Bocat, who has been absent since the Boxing Day defeat to Leeds United. He added: “Eric picked up an injury, a soleus injury, and he’ll be out for a little while, a little while being a few weeks.” Elsewhere, Stoke are awaiting updates on Ben Pearson and Jordan Thompson, who are both working their way back towards fitness, while winger Million Manhoef is expected to be out until March.