STOKE boss Mark Hughes is expected to give game-time to the majority of his players during Saturday’s opening pre-season friendly at the Pirelli Stadium.
The Potters boss, who returns back to the UK with his squad following a six-day long training camp in Austria on Friday, is likely to field a mixture of first-team stars and academy starlets against the newly-promoted Championship side at the Pirelli Stadium.
Xherdan Shaqiri, Marko Arnautovic, Jonathan Walters, Glenn Whelan, Shay Given, Geoff Cameron and Mame Diouf have all been granted extended leave following their international commitments in the summer, meaning they will miss this weekend’s showdown.
However, the likes of Jack Butland, Ryan Shawcross, Club record signing Giannelli Imbula and Bojan are all pencilled in to travel along with a number of Under 21 players, including last season's player of the year Joel Taylor, Dominic Telford and Julien Ngoy, who spent time training with the first-team in picturesque Kitzbuhel this week.
Tickets are available on the gate priced at £15 Adults (seated) and £10 (standing) whilst Under 17s can gain entry for £10 (seated) and just £5 (standing).