Tony Pulis hopes Fernando Torres' goal drought continues when Stoke visit Chelsea on Saturday - but is certainly not about to write the striker off.
The Potters go into the Barclays Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge having kept three clean sheets in their last four fixtures in all competitions and with Blues frontman Torres this week reaching 23 consecutive appearances for the club without a goal, they may be feeling optimistic about their chances of achieving another shut-out.
The Spaniard, Chelsea's £50million record signing, appeared to pass up the opportunity to take a penalty in Tuesday night's 2-0 FA Cup fifth-round replay victory at Birmingham and seems to be feeling the pressure.
His overall performance at St Andrew's impressed Stoke boss Pulis, though, who said: "I went to Birmingham and watched him the other night and I thought he did absolutely fantastically.
"I thought he worked his socks off and that his movement was brilliant.
"He just needs a little bit of luck in front of goal - I just hope he doesn't get it against us on Saturday. His attitude was fantastic."
The decision as to whether or not Torres keeps his place in the Chelsea team will fall to Roberto Di Matteo, who has been appointed as caretaker manager following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas last weekend and promoted the player - only a late substitute in Saturday's 1-0 league defeat at West Brom - to the first XI on Tuesday.
Plenty of interest will also surround the involvement of Stoke's Jermaine Pennant, who today denied reports that he has been punished by the club for breaches of discipline and insisted he has not fallen out with Pulis.
Pennant, having previously been a key figure for the Potters, has only made a handful of starts since early December.
Several media outlets today alleged the 29-year-old winger's struggles to get into the side have been down to him twice breaking a club curfew ahead of games and that the incidents had resulted in him being sanctioned.
However, Pennant wrote on Twitter on Thursday afternoon: "I'm all over £skysports saying I've been fined when it's not true the gaffa is going mad.
"So to all the stoke fans and for the record there is no problem with me and TP I have not been fined and we haven't fallen out at all.
"I respect our manager and I respect my team mates and most off I respect the club and fans."
Pulis last week said there was no problem between him and Pennant and when asked about him this morning, the manager replied: "You talk about Jermaine all the time.
"There are other players in the group as well and it is about the team, not about one individual player."
Pennant played for 65 minutes in last Saturday's 1-0 league win over Norwich, having come off the bench to replace defender Andy Wilkinson, who had an apparent hamstring problem and remains an injury doubt for this weekend.
Meanwhile, Pulis has expressed his sympathy for the departed Villas-Boas.
The 34-year-old Portuguese, named Chelsea boss last summer, had set about trying to renovate an ageing Blues squad, but with the team lying fifth in the top flight and in danger of being eliminated from the Champions League, owner Roman Abramovich ran out of patience and he lost his job less than 24 hours after the West Brom game.
Villas-Boas had previously enjoyed great success at Porto and Pulis expects him to bounce back.
"He had a very difficult job," Pulis said. "To go into Chelsea and turn it around in eight months was very difficult.
"I found him to be a nice chap. I'm sure he will get back into the game and that it will have been a great experience for him."
