Blackpool v Stoke City RECAP: Updates from Bloomfield Road as Seasiders bid for fourth straight win

A good, competitive start here with both sides getting an early feel for the ball.

The North Stand is already making an absolute racket.

Stoke’s Steven Fletcher gets the game underway.

Come on you Pool!

The teams are out and kick-off is moments away.

Up the mighty Pool!!

After naming an unchanged side on Saturday for just the fifth time in the league during his tenure at Bloomfield Road, Critchley opts to switch things up.

Out goes Josh Bowler and Gary Madine, while Demetri Mitchell and Sonny Carey come into the side - the latter handed his first home league start for the Seasiders.

Elsewhere, Chris Maxwell (torn quad), Matty Virtue (ACL), Grant Ward (achilles) and Shayne Lavery (hamstring) all remain sidelined.

Reece James, who hasn’t made an appearance since the end of August, returns to the Blackpool bench having recovered from a foot injury.

He replaces Dujon Sterling, who appeared to suffer a knock during the warm down at Bramall Lane at the weekend.

Stoke, who begin the day in ninth place and just two points adrift of the Seasiders in the league table, make one change from their weekend capitulation against Cardiff City.

The Potters, who are without a win in their last five, squandered a three-goal lead to draw to the Welsh side.

Former Seasider Jordan Thompson starts in the Stoke midfield, while Tom Ince is among the substitutes.

“We’ll have to play against a team that is going to be a very hungry team having come up from League One,” Michael O’Neill said.

“For a number of their players it will be their first season playing in the Championship, so they will be very keen to show they’re more than capable of playing at this level.

“They will have a real hunger and we have to match that. That’s the first thing we have to match and then we have to play our game.

“Conditions up there can be a bit tricky with the wind, but we’ll have to deal with that.

“We were 3-0 up on Saturday, so we must have done a lot of things well. We have to focus on the positives and address the negatives as well, which is what we’ve tried to do since Saturday.”

“We’re in a good place, we’re in good form. After the Nottingham Forest game we’ve bounced back with three really good performances and results.

“But we’re under no illusions how tough the task in front of us this week is with the two games we’ve got, starting with Stoke.

“They’re very similar to Sheffield United in being a Premier League team not so long ago and will have aspirations of trying to get back there.

“If you look at the manager and squad of players they’ve got, then we face an extremely difficult game on Wednesday night.

“But we’re full of confidence, we’re playing well and we’re at home, so we’re looking forward to it.

“Stoke had a really good start to the season, they’ve not quite maintained it but when I look at the squad of players Michael O’Neill has got, I can see them challenging for promotion.

“He inherited a lot of the players, but he’s changed the squad around and it’s becoming more of his squad and his team.

“They’re improving on where they were last season and they’ve got a formation they play and stick to and they’ve got good players.

“I’m sure their result at the weekend will spur them on even more, it will maybe give them a kick up the backside that we didn’t need at this time.

“But they’ve got good players, they’re a good team with a good manager and Michael is definitely putting his own mark on the team.”

The Seasiders are nursing a few “bumps and bruises” ahead of their midweek fixture following Saturday’s win at Bramall Lane.

“There will be a few bumps and bruises that will get assessed this morning,” Pool’s head coach told The Gazette on Monday morning.

“We think Kenny (Dougall) with his ankle will be fine, but there were just one or two knocks that we’ll have to assess.

“It’s nothing too serious, but with the two games (Stoke and QPR) coming back-to-back at home we will have to think about who’s going to be fit and ready to go again.”

There’s also a chance Kevin Stewart could come back into the fold.

The midfielder has only made three appearances this season and has missed Blackpool’s last three games with an ankle injury.

“He was on the grass at the end of last week doing some ball work and running, so I’d be hopeful he would be eligible for Wednesday,” Critchley said.

“If not Wednesday, then Saturday definitely.”

Chris Maxwell (torn quad), Matty Virtue (ACL), Grant Ward (achilles) and Shayne Lavery (hamstring) all remain sidelined.

Elsewhere, the likes of Daniel Gretarsson (concussion), Reece James and CJ Hamilton (both foot) are now back in training.

In-form Blackpool will be looking to make it four wins on the spin when they host Stoke City at Bloomfield Road tonight.

The Seasiders moved up to sixth place in the Championship following their 1-0 win against Sheffield United at the weekend.

Neil Critchley’s men, who have won seven of their last 10 outings, now face back-to-back home games before the international break, taking on the Potters in midweek before hosting QPR in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Saturday.

A win tonight will make it four consecutive Championship wins for the first time since the back end of their promotion-winning campaign in 2010.

Tonight’s opponents Stoke have stalled a little in recent weeks after making a bright start to the campaign.

Michael O’Neill’s side are without a win in their last five and squandered a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 at home to Cardiff City on Saturday.

Nevertheless, they still find themselves in ninth place in the table, just two points adrift of the Seasiders.