Stoke City could be without three first-team players for their trip to Barnsley in the Championship tomorrow night.
Stoke City travel to Barnsley in the Championship tomorrow night as 9th face 10th. Stoke currently sit a place in front of Barnsley who’ve been the league’s surprise package under Valerien Ismael this season.
They’ll be gunning for the visit of Stoke and Michael O’Neill will be praying that his side can build on back-to-back wins in the Championship, coming after a run of 10 games without one.
But Sky Sports’ Pete Smith has confirmed that both Sam Clucas and James McClean are doubts for tomorrow’s game, whilst January signing Rabbi Matondo is still sidelined.
Sam Clucas and James McClean both doubts for Stoke's trip to Barnsley. Rabbi Matondo still out.
— Pete Smith (@PeteSmith1983) February 23, 2021
Matondo was one of a handful of impressive signings made by Stoke City last month.
O’Neill in a bid to bring Premier League football back to Stoke City went on a loan spree which saw the likes of Matondo, Jack Clarke and Rhys Norrington-Davies all join.
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Stoke and Barnsley sit level on 45 points. The race for the final play-off spot has opened up after Bournemouth’s defeat to QPR at the weekend, which leaves just four points between Barnsley in 10th and Bournemouth in 6th.
Wedged in between them are Stoke, Middlesbrough and Cardiff City.
O’Neill’s main task is to achieve a top-six finish and in his first full season in charge he’s made a good go of it, and has 15 more Championship games to make that happen.
But to make the cut they’ll need to pick up points against the teams in and around them, starting tomorrow night at Barnsley.
