Narcis Pelach is preparing his Stoke City squad for a Championship trip to Middlesbrough this weekend, and he may have a secret weapon up his sleeve in the form of striker Sam Gallagher. Gallagher, a summer signing from Blackburn Rovers, is close to fitness for the first time since suffering a calf injury in the final friendly of pre-season, against AZ Alkmaar. The 29-year-old will give Pelach a different option in attack alongside Million Manhoef, Tom Cannon, Lewis Koumas, Bae Junho, Emre Tezgel and Niall Ennis.
The arrival of Gallagher is a significant boost for Stoke City, who have struggled for goals in the league so far this season. Their two league wins so far this season have come by a single goal each, and Pelach's task will be to get the best out of his attack while finsing the right balace to make sure another repeat of the last outing against Hull City does not happen again.
Stoke were solid in the first half against the Tigers in the Spainard's first game in charge, and could have had more than one to their name if Million Manhoef had been more clinical in front of goal. Dutch winger Manhoef has been Stoke's standout attacker so far this season, and was deployed in a second striker role against Hull instead of his usual right wing, which means Pelach is clearly open to trying different things with his team.
The Potters are arguably going to be in for an even tougher test in the North East, and so a more solid team would surely include Gallagher with his high-energy pressing and impressive aerial ability both likely to be big helps away at a team like Boro.
Pelach should look to move Manhoef back out wide this weekend, then drop one of Bae Junho or Lewis Koumas, who have each flattered to deceive in recent games, to bring Gallagher in alongside Cannon and get the two of them linking up as soon as possible.
The 29-year-old is going to be key to Stoke this season if they wish to move up the table, and needs to be thrust straight into the action if Pelach wants to see immediate results.
Gallagher's return to fitness comes at a perfect time for Stoke City, who are looking to bounce back from a disappointing start to the season. Their recent form has been patchy, and they will be looking to Gallagher to provide a spark in the final third.
The former Blackburn Rovers striker has a proven track record in the Championship, and he has a history of scoring goals against Middlesbrough. In fact, he's scored in two of his last three visits to the Riverside Stadium while still at Blackburn Rovers. Middlesbrough's nemesis Sam Gallagher is set to make his Stoke City debut at the Riverside Stadium this weekend, as Michael Carrick will be hoping for a reaction from his Boro players after their disappointing Wear-Tees Derby defeat to Sunderland.
As reported by The Northern Echo, Gallagher appears set to don the Stoke City shirt for the first time on Teesside this weekend, which is enough to send shivers down the spine of any superstitious Middlesbrough fan.
The 29-year-old has scored on two of his last three visits to the Riverside Stadium, and in three of his last six against Boro from his time with Blackburn Rovers, with the Teessiders being one of his most fruitful opponents when it comes to scoring against them.
Indeed, only Preston North End (four) and Queens Park Rangers (six) have been on the receiving end of more Gallagher goals than Middlesbrough, a worrying thought given the importance of a Boro victory this weekend.
Signing a three-year deal with Stoke this summer from Blackburn, Gallagher would close the chapter on a five-year spell at Ewood Park.
“The direction that the Club wants to go in is what attracted me,”Gallagher told the Potters club website after his move to the bet365 Stadium was completed.
“There is an eagerness to climb the league which aligns with what I want to achieve. I feel confident in my abilities, I want to impact the team in a positive way and, most importantly, for the club to be successful.”
Unfortunately for the 6'4” striker, a groin injury has kept him sidelined through the early stages of the season, meaning Potters fans have had to endure a frustrating wait to see their new recruit in action.
But, that wait looks set to come to an end at the Riverside Stadium this weekend, as The Northern Echo report that the big striker has put that ailment behind him, and is ready to play on Saturday.
It is understood that Gallagher has been back in training with the first team squad, and is likely to be involved in new Potters boss Narcis Pelach's matchday squad to take on Middlesbrough.
That news will likely be unwelcome to many Boro fans who have grown accustomed to Gallagher enjoying a goal or two against Boro of late. In fact, he's scored in two of his last three visits to Riverside Stadium while still at Blackburn Rovers. A lot has changed at Stoke City in the month that has passed since the Potters ran riot at the Riverside, dispatching Middlesbrough by five goals to nil in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Steven Schumacher was in the Stoke dug out that night, but Catalan coach Pelach will take his place this weekend, after the former Norwich City coach was appointed as Schumacher's successor.
Since that night at the Riverside, Stoke have won just one of their following three Championship fixtures - a 1-0 away win at Plymouth - and needed penalties to progress past League Two Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup.
Pelach's first game in charge against Hull City was, for a while at least, going to plan, before the Tigers came back to bite the Potters in the second half and ran out 3-1 winners.
Middlesbrough are a wounded animal too. However, after a dismal afternoon at the Stadium of Light ensured frustration from supporters over Carrick's style of play and lack of bite in attack would continue to grow.
Boro registered just one shot on target at the Stadium of Light, which has seen gloomy clouds begin to form over the Riverside, as fans are beginning to grow tired of reading the same old Middlesbrough story so far this season.
That is that, for the most part, Carrick's men enjoy the majority of possession, and yet cannot find ways to hurt their opposition despite having what many would describe as some of the sharpest strikers in the division in attack.
Slow ball movement and tempo has seen well-organised and stubborn defences repel attack after Middlesbrough attack, and has seen Boro fail to see out narrow leads in some games as they've been made to rue their missed chances.
The defeat to Sunderland brought those early-season frustrations close to boiling point, and another similar showing at the Riverside this weekend could see things start to get ugly.
So, despite the expected arrival of their goalscoring nemesis, Middlesbrough must enact their revenge on Stoke City this weekend. Boro fell flat in Saturday's Wear-Tees Derby, but Carrick must learn from how Sunderland and Le Bris' were able to defeat his side.
