Stoke are in the midst of a defensive crisis ahead of Saturday's trip to reigning champions Chelsea, with Mark Hughes set to be missing three centre-backs.
The Premier League's most porous defence, one that has leaked 41 goals in 20 games, will likely be without Ryan Shawcross, Bruno Martins Indi and Kurt Zouma at Stamford Bridge.
Shawcross was forced off in Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Huddersfield while loanee Zouma is ineligible to feature against his parent club and Martins Indi remains out due to a groin problem.
The Potters ended the contest against the Terriers with midfielder Geoff Cameron at centre-back and centre-half Kevin Wimmer at left-back, and Hughes will almost certainly be forced to use more players out of position at the weekend.