Stoke City may end up profiting following Steven Schumacher snub: View | OneFootball

Ryan Mmaee looks set for a return to the Stoke City first team squad for this weekend’s meeting with Norwich City, after the 26-year-old was banished from training by boss Steven Schumacher.

The Moroccan international hasn’t featured for the Potters since January following poor discipline in training, something that the new City boss took a harsh stand on.

After training for the under-21s for over a month, the 26-year-old is said to be back in Schumacher’s plans for the rest of the season, and will be eager to make amends for his misdemeanours in the past.

Ryan Mmaee Stoke City disciplinary history

Schumacher aimed to set standards high upon making the move to the bet365 Stadium from Plymouth Argyle last December, and has made an example of tearaway Mmaee by dropping him from all first team activities.

The forward has missed the last eight matches for his side after misbehaving on the training pitch, and had been made to pay for his actions by his manager.

Schumacher said: “We set out on the first day about the standards we expect at the training ground. There have been a couple of instances, and I won't need to go into the detail, where I felt Ryan wasn't buying into that.

“It's not fair to demand things from the whole squad and there's one person who was letting staff and players down. It sends a message that we're serious about what we're saying.

“I’m going not to come here and flippantly say something. We have to back up what we say and what we require from the players.

“At the moment, Ryan isn't available. The door is never permanently shut on any player but things have to change from his point of view if he wants to make an impact back in this team.”

It seems like Mmaee has learned from the error of his ways, with the striker back in training with the first team and looking to regain match fitness after a spell away from camp.

The 26-year-old is said to have had clear-the-air talks with his manager, and is putting in the hard yards to make sure he can be back to his best when called upon for the rest of the Championship campaign.

Schumacher said this week: “We’ve had Ryan Mmaee train with us this week.

“He looks as though he’s sharp, he’s doing ok and he could come back into contention for a place in the squad, which is obviously good because he’s a good player and I’m sure in the last nine games that he’ll have a point to prove.”

A hungry, determined Mmaee is a player that has the capabilities to fire the Potters to survival in the second tier this campaign, with City looking desperately over their shoulder at the relegation places behind them.

Last weekend’s victory over Preston North End created a three-point buffer between them and the drop zone, but Schumacher and his squad will know there are still vital points to be won to keep themselves in the division.

A cluster of seven sides are all separated by three points from 23rd to 17th in the table, meaning every point is precious in the battle against the drop.

Mmaee has shown a smattering of what he can do since joining from Ferencvaros in the summer, with three goals and two assists to his name this season before performances dropped off at the start of the new year.

But he is a proven Moroccan international for a reason, and knows where the goal is after 25 goals in two seasons in Hungary where he helped his side claim two league titles, and he will be keen to set the record straight upon his recall to the first team.

A big decision like the one Schumacher made can work either way for a side’s fortunes, but it seems to have made Mmaee determined to wipe the slate clean, and that can only mean good things for Stoke City until the end of the season.

It takes great character for a new manager to sideline one of his main attacking outlets, but with three victories in their last six matches the Potters’ boss has been proven right to make the decision he did.

Stoke City Championship run-in

After hosting Norwich City this weekend, Stoke have an Easter double-header of Hull City and Huddersfield Town to look forward to, with the latter set to be a relegation showdown as it stands.

West Brom come to Staffordshire soon after, before crunch clashes on the road against Swansea City and Sheffield Wednesday, which could go a long way to deciding their season.

Schumacher welcomes old side Plymouth Argyle to the bet365 in the latter part of April which is likely to be a hot-tempered affair after leaving the Pilgrims mid-season, before ending the campaign with match-ups against Southampton and Bristol City.

Mmaee still has the potential to have a big impact on his side’s season after his recall, and if he is back and firing fit he could make the difference between second and third tier football for the Potters next year.