Amidst Stoke City’s injury avalanche for the match against Leicester City, Alex Neil signs as a free agent

News from the bet365 Stadium as Stoke City prepare for trip to Leicester City without 10 players

Stoke City are not ruling out bringing in a free agent as they navigate an avalanche of injuries.

Alex Neil could be heading to promotion favourites Leicester without 10 players this weekend, including five defenders, although the manager has been typically coy at his pre-match press conference. Ben Wilmot and Ki-Jana Hoever limped out of Stoke’s mid-week clash with Southampton, joining Lynden Gooch, Michael Rose and Enda Stevens in the treatment room.

Gooch and Rose have been nursing minor hamstring and groin injuries respectively and it remains to be seen if this match is too soon while left-back Stevens has been out since picking up a calf injury on Republic of Ireland duty in the last international break.

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Under-21s defenders Luke Badley-Morgan and Ian Kamga are also injured, as are centre-back prospects Matty Baker and David Okagbue, who are out on loan at Newport County and Walsall respectively and cannot be recalled outside transfer windows anyway

Andre Vidigal (ankle), Ryan Mmaee (hamstring) and Tyrese Campbell (hamstring) are missing from the front line while Emre Tezgel (quad) is building up his fitness with the under-18s. Midfielder Lewis Baker is continuing his rehabilitation after pre-season knee surgery.

Stoke have explored adding free agents to their squad since deadline day and discussions are ongoing.

Neil said: “It’s been something we’ve been discussing anyway. It’s not something that’s been off the table, it’s been something we’ve discussed for weeks and weeks now. We’ll revisit it again.”