Potters vs Latics preview

Hopefully everyone in the Dressing Room has now kissed and made up and they'll all be fired up for the visit of the Latics to the Brit for another televised clash. So a quick reminder to everyone that the kick off is at 12.45pm on Saturday.

Ol' Tone has had to endure the media spotlight over the past week much more than he's cares to as the media have taken as much delight in the Potters Christmas spat as who's doing what to whom on Corrie. Therefore it's really a bit of a relief for me that we're back to a good old fashioned football match and it's no surprise that Ryan Shawcross also just wanted to talk about the match: 'It is our job to get a win, so all that is written about us is winning against Wigan - and nothing else. If we lose, there will be more talk, so we are desperate to pick up the three points.'

Pulis will probably be desperate to play James Beattie as long as he's fit - even if just to prove to everyone that they're still talking. Dean Whitehead is back from suspension and Ryan Shawcross is fit again so it's possible that the manager could have a full strength squad to pick from.

Will he or won't he start? Tuncay's starting debut against Arsenal last week was hardly fertile territory on which to prove himself, but with Pulis not keen on pitching him alongside Ricardo Fuller then it seems to depend if the Jamaican starts....

Keeper, Chris Kirkland will be given a last minute fitness test after he suffered a back injury in their 3-2 defeat against Birmingham. Hendry Thomas is suspended.

The pie-eaters' season has been topsy-turvy but mostly turvy away from home with their last two away trips being a 4-1 thrashing at Pompey and then that 9-1 demolition at Spurs. Just remind me - didn't we win there?

Top goal scorer with six and they've never lost whenever he's scored.

Mike Dean

Sat 19th December: Aston Villa (away) kick-off: 3pm
Boxing Day: Manchester City (away) kick-off: 3pm
Monday 28th December: Birmingham (home) kick-off: 3pm

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