Michael O’Neill has revealed Stoke City will delve into the loan market in order to improve their attack after another match in which the Potters failed to score.
Stoke have kept three clean sheets in their last four games under the former Northern Ireland boss, but goal scoring is increasingly becoming an issue.
Currently, Scott Hogan is out of favour, Tyrese Campbell is being linked with a move away and Lee Gregory and Sam Vokes have not been prolific. With six Championship goals, midfielder Sam Clucas is Stoke’s top scorer, while no player has registered more than three assists.
Speaking after Stoke’s 0-0 draw with Milwall on Saturday, O’Neill told Peter Smith of the Stoke Sentinel:
"“Loan players who are available to us will either be untried in the Championship – younger players from a Premier League club or alternatively players who aren’t in their current team.“Possibly it would help us to have another option at the top end of the pitch which would give us that little bit of a killer touch in a game like this one.”"
Stoke managed just nine shots against Milwall, with a header cleared off the line the closest they came to scoring. Too many of their attacks were through hopeful crosses, with Campbell and McLean not having enough opportunities to create more dangerous opportunities.
Stoke now go on a difficult run, with an away match against West Bromwich Albion next Monday, before welcoming Swansea City the following Saturday. Both sides are pushing for promotion this season and Stoke cannot afford to drop points if they are to remain outside the relegation places.
In some further bad news for the Potters, Stoke target Corry Evans was stretchered off while playing for Blackburn Rovers, all but ruling out a January move for the Northern Ireland international.