• FA Cup

Huth and Etherington face Saturday fitness tests

ESPNsoccernet staff
May 11, 2011
Pulis sets FA Cup deadline set for Stoke duo

Manchester City will take on Stoke City in the FA Cup final on Saturday and ESPN is the place to be for unrivalled coverage, starting with Breakfast at Wembley at 8am and commercial-free match coverage

Stoke City's Matthew Etherington and Robert Huth will be given every opportunity to recover from their respective injuries in time to compete in the FA Cup final, with the Potters pair set to be given late fitness tests on Saturday.

Etherington has been sidelined since tearing his hamstring against Wolves last month, while Huth injured his knee in the 3-1 victory over Arsenal on Sunday and has since been in Spain receiving sugar injections in his knee.

The duo have played a vital role in Stoke's progress to a first ever FA Cup final and their presence would give Tony Pulis' side a huge boost for Saturday's Wembley showdown with Manchester City.

Stoke chairman Peter Coates revealed on Tuesday that Germany defender Huth is fighting tooth and nail to be fit for the final.

''I think there has been a bit of a response to the treatment but it's far too early to reach any conclusions," Coates told the Stoke Sentinel. "He has seen a specialist we have used before and have full confidence in. He will then be coming back to us - then we just have to wait and hope.

''He will be desperate to play at Wembley, like any footballer would be, and it will be a terrible shame if he does miss out. It's going to be a very difficult judgment to make about whether he plays - for the player, the medical staff and, ultimately, Tony Pulis.''

Stoke are already without defender Danny Higginbotham and striker Ricardo Fuller, who are out for the rest of the season with knee and Achilles heel problems respectively.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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