Stoke City: Millwall cameo may have solved Wouter Burger, QPR conundrum | OneFootball

Sol Sidibe must start in Burger's absence at Loftus Road this weekend

Narcis Pelach is facing a midfield conundrum ahead of Stoke City's trip to Queens Park Rangers this weekend, with mainstay Wouter Burger suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last time out against Millwall.

Burger has been a key man for the Potters over the last 18 months, so Pelach has leaned on his quality since his arrival in mid-September, and the Dutchman has started in all-but one of his 10 league games in charge so far, only missing the visit of Bristol City due to a foot injury.

His suspension after a booking against the Lions means that the Spaniard will be forced to change things up as Stoke travel to Loftus Road looking for a second successive away league win, and he has a limited pool of midfielders to pick from amid injuries to Bosun Lawal and Ben Pearson.

The likes of Andrew Moran and Tatsuki Seko should be shoo-ins for the starting eleven after their impressive displays in recent weeks, but Pelach should also call on Sol Sidibe from the off in West London, following on from his cameo off the bench last time out against Millwall.

Sol Sidibe deserves a start in midfield for Stoke against QPR

17-year-old Sidibe's breakthrough into the senior side has been staggered over the last 18 months due to his age, but he looks ready to stake a claim for a regular spot in the team now, and a game against struggling QPR could be the perfect chance for Pelach to see what he is made of.

Sidibe, son of Potters cult-hero Mamady, is one of the biggest talents emerging out of Stoke's academy right now, and he made his professional debut last August at the age of 16, as he became the first player born in 2007 to feature in either of the top two English divisions.

The England youth international went on to feature eight times for the senior side last term, and it was made clear from the start of pre-season in July that he was due to have a bigger role in ex-boss Steven Schumacher's squad this season.

He started in Stoke's EFL Cup first round win over Carlisle United, and then was given another start in their second round rout of Middlesbrough, before he provided an assist for Million Manhoef's winner at Plymouth Argyle, and was handed the first league start of his career so far at Oxford United.

Schumacher was surprisingly sacked just days after that trip to the Kassam Stadium, and Pelach's subsequent arrival has understandably resulted in a reduction of minutes for Sidibe, with the Spaniard choosing to trust his more senior players in the very early stages of his reign.

Sidibe, though, continued to start cup games under his new head-coach, with a particularly decent showing against Premier League side Southampton, and his first league appearance in seven games came last time out against Millwall, as he was trusted to come on ahead of Jordan Thompson with the score locked at 1-1 with 25 minutes to go.

The 17-year-old is the most similar profile of player to Burger that the Potters currently have in their squad, and his composed nature, decent passing range and willingness to drive forward with the ball would definitely be a vital asset in breaking down the Hoops this weekend.

QPR are rock-bottom of the Championship, and while Stoke may not be a top team, they will travel to Loftus Road with the expectation of putting in a strong performance and securing all three points.

Sidibe could be key to their success, and he deserves the chance to prove himself to Pelach in what should be conceived as a more winnable game than most this season.

Sidibe has garnered attention from top teams

Paris-born Sidibe has been an England youth international at under-17 and under-18 level, captaining the latter, and he was of interest to some top sides in the summer after numerous impressive outings in his debut campaign.

According to a May report from the Daily Mail, he was being monitored by British powerhouses Chelsea and Rangers ahead of the transfer window, with just one year left on his scholarship deal, while European giants AC Milan and Monaco were both also believed to be keeping an eye on Sidibe's situation ahead of the summer.

Despite the potential for a move to said clubs, he signed his first professional contract with the Potters in July and committed his future in ST4 until 2027, yet interest has not dissipated in recent months, and TEAMtalk revealed in September that Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea are all tracking his development, while Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also keen on signing him.

Sidibe is clearly on the right path to the very top of the game, and while he is still at an early stage in his development right now, Stoke need to keep handing him sufficient chances in important games to vindicate his decision to remain at his boyhood club in the summer.

This weekend's visit to QPR is a perfect chance to do exactly that, and Pelach may well be able to unlock another level to his game if he plays well and remains in the team for the foreseeable future.