Comment by Denis Smith

DON’T worry about James Beattie being up for it tomorrow as he soldiers on with that cut above his eye.

Considering the form he’s in and the fact it’s his first club coming to town, he’d want to play if he was on crutches with a broken leg.

He’ll probably still have the stitches in place because they usually stay in for eight days, but I’m sure he’ll be all right with a plaster over the top to protect the cut. If he was the sort to wince and cry for his mummy, then I don’t think we’d have seen him come out for the second half last week.

For that first hour or so against Newcastle last week, Stoke played as well as I’ve seen them play all season.

Throw in the terrific win at West Bromwich Albion the week before and you have to assume they are playing with massive confidence at the moment.

No reason for Tony Pulis to even consider tinkering with that line-up, then, merely demand more of the same from his in-form players.

The two who particularly impressed me last weekend were Abdoulaye Faye and Ryan Shawcross at centre-half.

Old habits die hard for me, so I’ll always give them a longer look than most, but I have to say Faye is looking as good as any centre-half in the Premier League right now. Yes, I would praise him that highly.

He does have his weaknesses, however, and no-one will know them better than Sam Allardyce after managing him at both Bolton and Newcastle.

Faye can give your strikers a chance when he’s on the ball because he does like to play, while he also tends to drop off early and leave space in front of him. That said, I wouldn’t swap him for anyone right now and I’m sure I speak for all Stoke fans when I say that.

Big Sam doesn’t have the same luxuries as Tony Pulis at the moment because he’s had injuries and dodgy results to contend with recently.

He undoubtedly gave Blackburn a lift when he first arrived in December, but they’ve levelled off since and remain in the thick of the relegation battle.

You would expect them to be more aggressive and in your face than Newcastle were – and certainly not as tame as they were when losing 4-0 at Liverpool last Saturday.

This is a game Blackburn will have targeted and I expect them to give Stoke a rougher time physically than six days ago.

But there is also talent in their squad, particularly if the likes of El Hadji Diouf is given a run out.

We all know about his apparent failings as a character, but if you’re not one of the top teams then you have to gamble on these kinds of people if you want a player who can produce something special now.

And that’s the kind of dilemma Pulis will have to consider if and when Stoke achieve Premier League safety.

Other Stoke City stories on Why Delilah today:
Coates: City will have the last laugh
Denis Smith: Beattie will not want to miss date with Rovers
Etherington: We've achieved nothing yet
‘Conman’ Pulis lets football do the talking
Vital statistics: Stoke City vs Blackburn Rovers
Betting: Stoke City vs Blackburn Rovers
Midfielder Mokoena keen to commit future to Rovers
In the know: Blackburn Rovers
Talking tactics: Stoke City vs Blackburn Rovers
The opposition: Blackburn Rovers