Filed under: Stoke City, Europa League (UEFA), Premier League, Football, Match Previews
EUROPA 
LEAGUE PLAY-OFF: BRITANNIA STADIUM, THURSDAY AUGUST 25, 2011. KICK-OFF 1945 BST
They have done the hard work, now Stoke need to finish the job when they entertain FC Thun in their Europa League play-off at the Britannia Stadium on Thursday evening.
The Potters head into the second leg 1-0 up courtesy of Danny Pugh's goal out in Switzerland, however it could have been even better had Jon Walters not wasted a glorious opportunity late on.
A place in the Group Stages is the reward for the winners and Tony Pulis' team can take heart from the fact they are still to lose a match this season, having salvaged a 1-1 draw at Norwich on Sunday thanks to Kenwyne Jones' 94th-minute strike at Carrow Road.
Pulis' squad will be further stretched by suspensions and injuries, however, and the City manager will be mindful of the strain an extended European run will put on his already wafer-thin squad.
Moves for Wilson Palacios, Peter Crouch and Shaun Wright-Phillips have been widely reported, however with a week remaining of the transfer window none of those deals have yet materialised.
Key Match-up: Kenwyne Jones v Manuel Reinmann:
LEAGUE PLAY-OFF: BRITANNIA STADIUM, THURSDAY AUGUST 25, 2011. KICK-OFF 1945 BSTThey have done the hard work, now Stoke need to finish the job when they entertain FC Thun in their Europa League play-off at the Britannia Stadium on Thursday evening.
The Potters head into the second leg 1-0 up courtesy of Danny Pugh's goal out in Switzerland, however it could have been even better had Jon Walters not wasted a glorious opportunity late on.
A place in the Group Stages is the reward for the winners and Tony Pulis' team can take heart from the fact they are still to lose a match this season, having salvaged a 1-1 draw at Norwich on Sunday thanks to Kenwyne Jones' 94th-minute strike at Carrow Road.
Pulis' squad will be further stretched by suspensions and injuries, however, and the City manager will be mindful of the strain an extended European run will put on his already wafer-thin squad.
Moves for Wilson Palacios, Peter Crouch and Shaun Wright-Phillips have been widely reported, however with a week remaining of the transfer window none of those deals have yet materialised.
Key Match-up: Kenwyne Jones v Manuel Reinmann:
Jones rescued the Potters with a late strike on Sunday and Pulis will hope that goal gives the Trinidad & Tobago forward a much-needed confidence boost following an indifferent early campaign. The former Sunderland striker's pace and power has the potential to cause Thun defender Reinmann problems.
Form Guide: Stoke preserved their unbeaten record with a last-gasp equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw at Norwich, while Thun are undefeated in six League games and are top of the table.
Odds: Stoke 8/15, FC Thun 13/2, Draw 16/5
STOKE CITY:
Form Guide: Stoke preserved their unbeaten record with a last-gasp equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw at Norwich, while Thun are undefeated in six League games and are top of the table.
Odds: Stoke 8/15, FC Thun 13/2, Draw 16/5
STOKE CITY:
Potters manager Pulis has challenged his team to cope with the absence of some key performers and finish the job against Thun on Thursday.
He said: "Robert and Matty will be a loss and it's a reminder that this will be a tough game for us. We did superbly out in Switzerland to win there, but now we must make sure we finish the job.
"They will come here thinking they have nothing to lose, which makes them dangerous, and we saw enough last week to know they can be a threat. It does put an extra stress on the playing side and at the moment we haven't got the depth to cope with it.
"When you play a midweek game here it's normally on a Tuesday, which gives you a day off and then two days to prepare for the weekend game. But last week we played Thursday, travelled Friday and had one day to get ready for the game at Norwich.
"It's all new to us and we are learning as we go along. I'm not complaining because it's a measure of our success, but I do hope our fans understand and give our lads the support they will need against Thun."
Strategy: Andy Wilkinson and Ryan Shotton are in contention for Huth's right-back slot, with Danny Pugh the most likely candidate to step in on the left wing for Etherington.
Injury Update:
Robert Huth and Matthew Etherington must both serve one-match bans after collecting two cautions apiece. Jermaine Pennant (thigh) and Rory Delap (hamstring) could also miss out.
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