Stoke sign ex-Newcastle and Aston Villa defender ahead of Sunderland fixture amid injury issues

Stoke have completed the signing of former Newcastle and Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark on a contract until the end of the season.

Alex Neil’s side have made a disappointing start to the campaign, winning just one of their last eight league games, and sit 21st in the Championship table heading into the international break.

Clark, 34, left Newcastle at the end of his contract in the summer, following a loan spell at Sheffield United, and has been a free agent since leaving St James’ Park. The defender could make his Stoke debut against Sunderland at the bet365 Stadium when the season resumes on Saturday, October 21.

After completing the move, Clark told Stoke’s website: “I’ve missed the feeling of being in the dressing room and preparing week-to-week for Saturdays. I worked hard throughout pre-season and have kept myself in good shape since, so I am keen to get out there with the lads over the next couple of weeks, as the feeling of those sessions is something you can’t replicate alone.”

Stoke have been dealing with several injury issues in recent weeks, with former Sunderland full-back Lynden Gooch, Ryan Mmaee, Michael Rose, Enda Stevens, Tyrese Campbell, Ben Wilmot and Ki-Jana Hoever all sidelined.

The Potters’ squad has been particularly stretched at the back, with only two defenders available for their defeat against Leicester last weekend. “We’ve played so many games: seven games in 21 days, which is ridiculous,” said Neil after the game.

“We’ve lost eight members of our first-team squad that are senior players, we’ve got a back line with a young kid playing only his second game having come from League Two a couple of weeks ago and we’ve got Luke McNally, who’s played 25 games in the Championship at centre-back, and after that we’ve got midfielders dotted in the back line.

“So it’s been really testing for us. We knew it was going to be a difficult task but in terms of the players’ efforts, their application and how they went about it, I thought they gave us everything they could.”