Stoke City: Narcis Pelach reveals Million Manhoef situation ahead of Sheffield Wednesday clash | OneFootball

Narcis Pelach revealed that Million Manhoef will be assessed by Stoke City ahead of Saturday's trip to Sheffield Wednesday

Stoke City manager Narcis Pelach has revealed that star winger Million Manhoef is being assessed for a knee problem ahead of his side's trip to Sheffield Wednesday on the weekend.

Pelach, who replaced Steven Schumacher following the contentious dismissal of the ex-Plymouth Argyle boss back in September, will be eager to have his best players to choose from in a bid to alleviate growing pressure at the Bet 365 Stadium.

Stoke are yet to kick-on and, in the eyes of many, really vindicate their decision to part ways with Schumacher since the appointment of Pelach, a tenure which is already beginning to attract mixed views from supporters.

The Spaniard has won just three of his first 16 Championship fixtures at the helm, and their winless run was extended to seven matches as only a 95th-minute equaliser from Ben Gibson spared their blushes and ensured a 2-2 home draw to Cardiff City, who are four places below the Potters in 21st place.

A flashpoint against the Bluebirds may be an even greater cause for concern though, as Manhoef limped off on the hour mark with a knee problem.

The Dutch winger tried and ultimately failed to play through the pain barrier before calling to be substituted, where he then undertook precautionary treatment but will be checked again in preparation for Saturday's fixture against the Owls.

Narcis Pelach's update on Stoke City's Million Manhoef ahead of Sheffield Wednesday

Pelach revealed the situation to the press on Monday afternoon, explaining that Manhoef will be assessed following his setback on the weekend. He stopped short of offering any sort of prognosis on the winger, with Stoke clearly still somewhat in the dark over the severity of the issue.

Pelach said: "He said he was ok at first to continue and the medical staff decided he was fine but after two or three minutes more he was not feeling well and we had to sub him.

"We have to check it."

Narcis Pelach, Stoke City will hope for the best with Million Manhoef

It's bound to be a real worry for both Stoke and Pelach, who can ill-afford to be without the 22-year-old's services for an extended period of time.

Manhoef has caught the eye in the Potteries ever since his hotly-anticipated arrival from Dutch side Vitesse back in February, and while Stoke may yet be demanding increased direct output, his trickery and creativity on the right-hand side are key components in the system.

He's extremely gifted and possesses natural star quality, which can open up games and offer a new dimension to Stoke's attack. Manhoef is vitally important to this Stoke side, evidenced by the fact he's appeared in all but one of their 21 league outings this term.

They don't currently have another operator quite like him, with Portuguese winger Andre Vidigal the likely replacement candidate on paper if Manhoef is to be sidelined for their trip to Hillsborough and beyond.