Stoke City manager Michael O’Neill admits playmaker Nick Powell could be declared fit for Wednesday’s trip to face Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
Powell hurt his calf against Birmingham City after setting up Dany Batth’s opener in a 2-0 win which lifted the Potters four points clear of the Championship relegation zone.
One more win could be enough for O’Neill’s side with three matches remaining but the Robins are also hunting all three points as they retain a possibility of making the play-offs, should they take maximum points from their final trio of games.
Powell has five goals and five assists for Stoke in 27 Championship appearances, playing off main striker and leads the club’s regular starters for chances created with 1.9 key passes per 90 minutes.
“He has a chance. He took a bang on the calf and we just have to see how it responds. But Nick has been terrific for me so he would be a big miss if we didn’t have him. But we will see how he is,” O’Neill told Stoke-on-Trent Live.
“We can’t take unnecessary risks with him and a calf injury is not something you can play with if you are not 100 per cent.
“We still have 48 hours from the game and, Nick being Nick, if he has any chance of playing, he will do.”
Stoke were without first-choice goalkeeper Jack Butland for the victory over Birmingham due to a neck injury but Adam Davies’ clean sheet means the 27-year-old is likely to continue between the posts.
Stoke have won just two of their last seven matches against City, in all competitions, and after Wednesday, their two remaining fixtures are against top six opposition in Brentford and Nottingham Forest.
