Quartet cause concern for Pulis
Stoke manager Tony Pulis has doubts surrounding four players ahead of the Barclays Premier League clash with Norwich at the Britannia Stadium.
Of the quartet, Pulis feels winger Matthew Etherington is the most likely to figure despite ongoing issues with a back problem.
Defender Marc Wilson (hamstring), midfielder Charlie Adam (ankle) and striker Cameron Jerome (ankle) will all have late checks on their fitness.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis has conceded he will not relax until his team finally hit the magical 40-point mark.
Heading into last Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash at QPR, Pulis was under severe pressure as his side had been sucked into the relegation fight on the back of eight matches without a victory.
But a 2-0 win finally brought relief to all within the club, leaving them now just three points shy of the 40 Pulis firmly believes will guarantee the club a sixth successive season in the top flight.
Pulis, who has this week denied reports he will walk out on Stoke the moment they are assured of safety, knows neither he nor his players can rest until survival is secure.
Ahead of Norwich's visit to the Britannia Stadium, Pulis said: "We've been in a 'must-win-game' situation for the last three or four matches now.
"We've four to go, and we need to get a result in one of those.
"The three points against QPR helped, but we still need to get to 40 points, which has been the target from the beginning of the season.
"I personally think we will be safe with 40, and our goal difference is good, so that's almost an extra point for us.
"The sooner we get to that then the more relaxed we will be, and with a lot more smiles on people's faces. The pressure comes off."
Central defender Michael Turner misses out and is "touch and go", according to Norwich manager Chris Hughton, for next week's
game against Aston Villa after suffering a groin injury against Reading last weekend.
Leon Barnett has been recalled from his loan spell helping Cardiff to promotion as cover for Turner.
Hughton has no other injury problems but will wait to decide whether to include first-choice goalkeeper John Ruddy in the squad following his five-month lay-off with a thigh injury.
Kei Kamara thought he had blown his dream of playing in the Premier League when he was shown the door by Stoke after a 10-day trial four months ago.
However, the striker from Major Soccer League club Sporting Kansas returns to the Britannia Stadium hoping to ensure the Premier League safety of Norwich as he closes in on the end of a three-month loan spell at Carrow Road.
Norwich manager Chris Hughton still has to decide whether to try to keep Kamara on a more permanent footing, so the easy-going 28-year-old from Sierra Leone has plenty of incentive to prove a few people wrong at Stoke.
Not that Kamara, who has scored one goal in six appearances at Norwich with Hughton admitting "he has made an impact", has any complaints.
Kamara, who has stayed in touch with Stoke's Asmir Begovic and Kenwyne Jones, said: "I had some good training sessions in my 10 days at Stoke and was able to play one of my [practice] games with Michael Owen up front. I felt like I could have fitted in because I was more of an aerial threat but it didn't work out.
"Everybody has a different opinion and there's no bad blood, no disrespect to the coaching staff over there.
"Everybody sees something different every day. I mean, before I had my fiancee someone else was with my fiancee who didn't like her. They left her and I got her and I think she is the best woman ever.
"It's just how it is. I was just excited to train with a Premier League side. I said thank you for the opportunity and went back home."
Source: PA
Source: PA