Bae Junho’s participation in Stoke City’s season opener against Coventry City on Saturday (12.30pm kickoff) is still up in the air, but Steven Schumacher has already ruled out his most recent addition.
In his pregame press conference, Stoke’s head coach gave an update on his star South Korean player, stating that the 22-year-old has returned to training while he heals from a thigh strain.
Juhno was out on the grass today, but given the nature of his injuries, it’s still a little too early to say whether or not he’ll play a part, according to Schumacher.
He’s an explosive player, so you can’t rush it. Besides, it’s not worth taking a chance and maybe dealing major damage later.
“He’s worked a little bit today, nothing too heavy, and tomorrow we’ll decide what to do with him.”
Nevertheless, after playing just 28 minutes in his Stoke City debut, Sam Gallagher, the striker, would miss the match, according to Schumacher, and his absence might extend into several weeks.
The 28-year-old, who cost no money when he arrived from Blackburn last week, was substituted on Saturday against AZ Alkmaar due to a “stiff calf.”
Schumacher was hopeful after the Alkmaar loss that the injury wasn’t too significant, but the head coach stated that Sam Gallagher wouldn’t be available for this match. It will be a few weeks [until he returns] because he had to take a leave of absence last week due to a calf issue.
“Michael Rose will also not be available due to an ankle injury, and Ben Pearson is a long-term option. Enda Stevens, he is also not going to make this game.
Schumacher, who believes Coventry to be among the strongest clubs in the Championship, could not have come at a worse moment given Stoke’s long list of injuries; everything had seemed to be going so well as the preseason went on.
In his own words, “It happens.” For the first five weeks, we were doing great, with no injuries or muscular issues. Then, two happened in the same week, and after Sam came in, there were three. It is disappointing because he had only been with us for a few days when he developed a minor calf strain.
“That was a bit of a blow for Michael Rose because he landed on an opponent’s foot and twisted his ankle, and it’s evident that Ryan Maee is working his way back to fitness.”
“However, injuries are a common occurrence in football, and they really present a chance for other players to step up and join the club. And maybe they will
Just as Mmaee was about to make his first team appearance in nearly four months, he had an injury. He worked with the training team through the summer to treat a knee problem that kept him out of action for the last few weeks of the previous season due to a hamstring ailment.
A few weeks ago, he was hoping to participate in the preseason match at Bolton, but he ended up getting tonsillitis.
Schumacher stated, “Ryan has trained for the last few days,” but it is unclear if Mmaee will play against Coventry. Once more, we’ll discuss this with the performance and medical teams to see what the best minute plan is for him.
