Scott Parker believes Stoke City’s position in the table belies the ability they have at their disposal.
The Potters currently prop up the Sky Bet Championship, but will have been buoyed by a first win of the season just prior to the international break.
“They’re a side which only a few years ago was a Premier League team,” Parker told FFCtv. “You look at their squad now and it’s very strong.
“It’s got players within it who have been in and around the Premier League, and everything else that comes with that, in terms of stadium and facilities, they’re right up there with a Premier League team.
“Of course they’ve had a bit of a bad run at the start of this season, but certainly when you look at their players and their team play, they’re a good side. They’re going to cause us problems, like other teams will.
“The league says what it says, and I understand that, but ultimately I realise that come Saturday it’s going to be difficult for us.
“It’s always a difficult place to go, Stoke; very, very tough with a good atmosphere. There are going to be times on Saturday where we might have to weather a storm, whether that’s at the start of the game, whether that’s after 15 minutes, or whatever it may be.
“There is going to come a time when we need to be resilient in those moments. We need to show our quality and get control of the game to build from there. I reiterate that this is a really good team, with talented individuals. We have a strong squad, but it’s going to be a tough game for us.”
Watch Scott's full 10-minute interview with FFCtv below.