Stoke City handed Ethan Galbraith injury blow as players return from international duty

Ethan Galbraith suffers injury scare as Stoke City players return from international duty

Stoke City could have a nervous wait over Ethan Galbraith after the midfielder was forced off during Northern Ireland’s goalless draw with Georgia.

Galbraith has been one of Stoke’s standout performers since moving to the club and carried that impressive form into international duty. However, his latest outing ended prematurely when he appeared to pick up a problem at the back of his leg.

The 25-year-old was substituted after 65 minutes at Windsor Park, with the midfielder seen holding the back of his leg as he made his way off.

It was another impressive performance from Galbraith before the injury scare. He had already been named man of the match during Northern Ireland’s draw with Hungary and looked lively against Georgia before being withdrawn.

Galbraith had also missed Northern Ireland’s previous game against Ukraine after being given permission to return home following the birth of his son.

He came back into the squad for the Georgia match and made an immediate impression, with local reports praising his energy and creativity before his early departure.

The big concern for Stoke will now be whether Galbraith’s problem is serious enough to keep him out of Saturday’s Championship trip to Bolton Wanderers.

There was at least some encouragement for the Potters, with Galbraith returning to the pitch after the final whistle to applaud the Northern Ireland supporters.

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill was asked about his substitutions after the match and explained that fatigue had become a major factor following a demanding run of fixtures.

That could give Stoke fans some hope that Galbraith’s withdrawal was partly precautionary rather than a significant injury.

Stoke stars impress on international duty

Galbraith was one of 10 Stoke players involved with their countries during the extended international break.

Justin Devenny completed the full 90 minutes against Georgia and has featured heavily for Northern Ireland during the international window, starting three of their four matches.

Stoke captain Viktor Johansson also enjoyed a positive spell with Sweden, helping his country secure a 1-0 victory away to Romania.

Luke Graham remains with Scotland ahead of their meeting with Georgia, while Tommy Simkin is involved with England Under-21s as the international programme reaches its conclusion.

However, Stoke supporters will undoubtedly be keeping the closest eye on Galbraith.

His form has made him an increasingly important figure for Michael O’Neill, and the Potters will be desperate to have him available when they return to Championship action against Bolton this weekend.