Etherington injury bad news for Stoke ahead of FA Cup final
Published:Stoke are already the underdogs to win the FA Cup final against Manchester City and their chances would diminish further should Matthew Etherington miss the trip to Wembley because of injury.
Etherington, who has assisted more Premier League goals than any other Stoke player this season, had to be stretchered off with a hamstring problem in the 3-0 win over Wolves.
He will now have a scan to see the extent of the injury and will be racing to be fit for the Wembley showpiece on May 14th.
Stoke are 10/3 in the FA Cup betting to beat Manchester City and already seem set to be without Ricardo Fuller and Danny Higginbotham at Wembley.
Manager Tony Pulis said: “The first week is very important to get it sorted, then we’ve got 10 days to get it as strong as possible for the final. I can’t believe how many injuries we’ve had – it’s been terrible luck.
“To lose Ricardo and Danny is a massive blow because we haven’t got the resources Man City have. It would have been tough enough with our best players available.”
However, the omens do not look bad for Stoke as they prepare for their first ever FA Cup final.
They moved into the quarter finals of the FA Cup last season after winning a replay against Manchester City and are unbeaten in the last four showdowns between the pair.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have their own injury problems to contend with as Jerome Boateng recently underwent surgery to repair a knee injury sustained represented Germany and Carlos Tevez is being troubled by a hamstring problem.
Roberto Mancini has indicated that the pair must be fit for the Premier League clash four days before the final if they want to be considered for Wembley.
Manchester City’s odds are 8/11 to win the FA Cup.
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