Pulis: Shawcross will deal with Arsenal vitriol

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis is confident Ryan Shawcross will deal with the hot reception he is certain to receive at Arsenal on Saturday.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was heavily critical of a tackle from City captain Shawcross, which broke Aaron Ramsey’s leg in Arsenal’s 3-1 English Premier League win at Stoke in February.

Pulis hit back in what proved to be a long-running feud between the clubs and Wenger poured more fuel on the fire when he slammed what he called Stoke’s ‘rugby’ tactics against Tottenham earlier this season.

But Pulis said: “We will just be concentrating on trying to get a result from a very difficult match and I’m confident Ryan will have a big part to play in that.”

“Ryan is a smashing lad who was very upset after the Ramsey incident, but he’s also a strong character who will be able to deal with what comes his way at the Emirates.”

Apart from long-term absentee Mamady Sidibe (Achilles Tendon), Pulis will have a fully fit squad at his disposal after Andy Wilkinson (knee) and Jermaine Pennant (hamstring) came through last Saturday’s defeat by Blackpool.

But the Stoke boss is likely to change his formation for such a tough fixture, with Kenwyne Jones expected to plough a lone furrow up front and either Glenn Whelan or Marc Wilson recalled to bolster the midfield.

Hard-working forward Jon Walters, who is expected to shake off flu symptoms, is also likely to start in place of Pennant on the right flank as Stoke attempt to end a run of eight straight defeats in this fixture since their last win at Arsenal 29 years ago.