Stoke City manager Mark Robins has explained his decision to cancel striker Sam Gallagher’s scheduled return to action with the under-21 team earlier this week.
The 30-year-old joined the Potters from Blackburn Rovers in July 2024 but struggled in his debut season at the bet365 Stadium. He found himself in and out of the team after suffering a series of injuries, although did start seven of the last 10 games of the campaign.
Gallagher once again suffered a setback in pre-season and is yet to feature this season. Meanwhile, Stoke are enjoying an excellent start and currently sit second in the table, one point behind leaders Middlesbrough.
After finishing in the bottom half of the Championship every year since suffering relegation from the Premier League in 2018, it looks as if Robins may be building a team capable of challenging for at least a play-off place.
Robins Explains Gallagher Under-21 Absence
With Gallagher nearing a return, it was expected that he would gain his first minutes on the pitch on Monday with the club’s under-21 team. However, Robins has revealed that the attacker’s impressed so much in training that the decision has been made to keep him with the first team set up. Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Queens Park Rangers, the former Coventry City boss said:
“In some cases we will (use the under-21s) but in some others (not). For instance, Sam was due to play some minutes on Monday in that game but I’m not going to do that. He is looking strong and to train with us for the week takes him into availability for the Norwich game.
“That gives us another option and another really good player and welcome back without really having played any minutes in a game. How much is he going to get out of that (21s game)? I’m not sure because training is really intense anyway.
“It’s just weighing that up and making sure he’s in a position where he can contribute.”
Writer’s View
Although it’s still very early in the season, it’s fair to say that Stoke have their sights well and truly on launching a promotion assault. They’ve recruited well and added good depth to their squad over the summer, whilst a returning Sam Gallagher will bolster Mark Robins’ options further. The 30-year-old is a seasoned pro at this level and although it’s difficult to see him being a regular starter in the coming weeks, he certainly has the talent to force his way into the team. If he can remain fully fit, he will provide a huge boost to the Potters’ top six hopes.
