As big as the Valencia game is, Stoke have to overcome a banana skin at the weekend when they face Crawley Town in the FA Cup, then there is the away leg in Spain to think about, so Pulis has to get it right.
Robert Huth’s suspension for his sending off against Sunderland won’t count tonight in European competition so he is likely to stand alongside Ryan Shawcross at the back.
As far as the keeper’s position goes, it would not be a surprise to see Begovic play in all three games while Thomas Sorensen is kept for the Premier League.
Valencia are hot favourites to progress to the next round at the expense of Stoke, they are flying high in the Spanish league while the Potters are on a bad run with four straight defeats. Still, Pulis says that all the pressure is on the Spanish outfit.
"We have nothing to lose and everything to gain," he told the Sentinel. "Let's show them a real Britannia night and make it as difficult for them as we can.
"They are a quality side, but our fans can make all the difference like they have so many times for us in the past. We really need to hear them from start to finish to help the players."