Stoke boss Tony Pulis has been forced to defend the Potters pre-season diary which see's them without a home friendly, or a friendly on their pre-season tour of Austria.
City usually play a couple of games on their week long tour, with Roma and Real Madrid amongst former opponents, and had been rumoured to be close to a game with Champions League finalists Bayern Munich this time around, but TP has confirmed there are no games scheduled, but the Potters may take on a local side if they choose to once on tour.
This is due to the fact the tour is earlier than normal, and the traditional curtian raiser, at Newcastle Town, takes place later than normal, on Saturday 24th July, two days after City' first game against Nantwich, on Thursday 22nd July.
City then travel to Derby(27th July), Burnley(31st July), Bristol Rovers(3rd August) and Wrexham(6th August) before opening the season on the weekend starting 14th August.
That means no home friendly this pre-season, but TP isn't concerned stating merely that due to the clubs top flight position it is impossible to face top flight opposition from this country and that he feels you can get a lot more from playing lower league sides, away from home, where they are likely to be more up for the game and give a tougher physical workout than European opposition.