Five opposition players to watch out for: Stoke City stars heading to Anfield…
Stoke City’s preparations for today’s game at Anfield have been hit by a virus at their training ground, according to reports on BBC Sport, however there were still be plenty of opposition stars to look out for.
Asmir Begovic, Phil Bardsley and Geoff Cameron were all affected but should be available, but former Liverpool loanee Victor Moses is ruled out with a thigh problem.
Defenders Erik Pieters and Marc Wilson have returned to training and could be involved. They missed the defeat to Burnley with calf and hamstring problems respectively.
Here are five Stoke players to watch out for:
5) Asmir Begovic
The Stoke goalkeeper is renowned for being one of the best goalkeepers playing outside of European football, and has been linked with Real Madrid in past transfer windows. Has conceded 15 goals in 12 games so far this season, and has been key to Stoke’s steady rise in recent years.
4) Charlie Adam
The Scotland international joined Stoke from Liverpool in 2012, after scoring twice in 37 games for the Reds. He has struck 13 times in 76 games for City, and has been key to their success over the last couple of years. Liverpool will know all about what he can do, and will have to guard against his long range shots.
3) Bojan Krkic
One of the summer’s shock signings, the former Barcelona starlet was once expected to become one of Europe’s best strikers, but found himself moving to Stoke this summer after a difficult couple of years out of the limelight. Loan spells at AC Milan and Ajax brought little in the way of success, and Stoke picked up a bargain when they signed him from Spain. He has one Premier League goal thus far.
2) Ryan Shawcross
Stoke’s most reliable and consistent player, the club captain will make his 300th appearance for the club today. A former Manchester United academy player, who made two League Cup appearances for the Red Devils in the 2006-07 season, he will have a small added incentive to score a victory over Liverpool.
1) Mame Biram Diouf
Another former Manchester United player, Diouf struggled to establish himself at Old Trafford, making just five league appearances. He quickly rose to prominence at Hannover in Germany, where he plied his trade between 2012 and this summer, when he joined Mark Hughes’ side. Four goals have come for Diouf so far, including the winner against Manchester City.