Shayne Lavery starts as Blackpool make two changes for Stoke City clash

With Jordan Gabriel now sidelined with a hamstring injury, Neil Critchley opts to move Dujon Sterling back over to his natural position of right-back.

Reece James, meanwhile, takes Gabriel’s space in the side and slots in at left-back.

Elsewhere, Shayne Lavery comes in for Jerry Yates after scoring off the bench in last week’s 4-1 win against Reading, the second of Blackpool’s two changes.

Lavery will be out to impress against Stoke boss Michael O’Neill, who gave him his international debut for Northern Ireland.

Chris Maxwell (quad), Richard Keogh (calf), Luke Garbutt (knee), James Husband (hamstring), Matty Virtue (ACL), Grant Ward (achilles), Sonny Carey (metatarsal) and Keshi Anderson (hamstring) all remain sidelined.

Yates drops down to the bench, where he’s joined by the likes of Owen Dale, Charlie Kirk and Jake Beesley. Ethan Robson is left out of the squad altogether.

The Potters sit one point and one position below the Seasiders in the league table, having dropped away from the top six in recent weeks.

O’Neill’s side are without a win in their last five and have lost their last two league games.

Today’s referee is Tony Harrington, who officiated Blackpool’s last away win, the 1-0 victory against Sheffield United in October.

He also took charge of Blackpool’s play-off final win against Lincoln City in May.

TEAMS

Stoke: Bonham, Moore, Jagielka, Harwood-Bellis, Smith, Sawyers, Baker, Vrancic, Tymon, Powell, Maja

Subs: Bursik, Wilmot, Thompson, Philogene-Bidace, Allen, Campbell, Fletcher

Blackpool: Grimshaw, Sterling, Ekpiteta, Thorniley, James, Stewart, Dougall, Bowler, Hamilton, Lavery, Madine

Subs: Moore, Casey, Connolly, Dale, Kirk, Yates, Beesley

Referee: Tony Harrington