EPL: Stoke v Tottenham preview

Stoke v Tottenham preview

Harry Kane is on the verge of starting for Tottenham after his return from injury as they travel to Stoke in the Premier League on Saturday.

The striker suffered ankle ligament injury against Bournemouth in March and made a substitute appearance in last weekend's 3-1 win against Chelsea, but could be included in the starting XI in the Bet365 Stadium.

"He is OK after playing nearly 20 minutes against Chelsea. This week was good, he is working hard," manager Mauricio Pochettino said of Kane.

"We need to see him in one more training session but he is doing very good. Of course, the expectation for him is to score goals. He is hungry to score."

Stoke are three points adrift of safety with just six games remaining and have they have failed to win any of their previous eight encounters.

Their most recent victory was Paul Lambert's first match in charge and though their situation remains precarious, the Potters manager admits he has thoroughly enjoyed life at Stoke since arriving in January.

"I came in here with 15 games to go, which is not a long time," Lambert said. "I know some managers probably don't touch jobs midway through the season. You can understand why but it was an opportunity for me.

"I love it, I really do. I love the way the club is, the foundation. Okay, we're in a situation that nobody wants to be in. But I think the actual club is very stable. I think it's really good from that point of view.

"It's got a great fan base behind it, which I think is really important. If we can just get through this little period then it can really take off."

Mauricio Pochettino has just Harry Winks (ankle) sidelined for the trip, with the remainder of the squad expected to be available for selection.

Stoke could be boosted by the return of Kurt Zouma from injury with the defender having trained on Thursday morning.

Mame Diouf came off against Arsenal last weekend with a calf injury that is still troubling him, while Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting may miss out again because of a groin issue.