TONY PULIS was forced to employ midfielder Dean Whitehead as a makeshift right back in Stoke City's line-up for the FA Cup replay against Manchester City.

With captain Abdoulaye Faye and Andy Wilkinson suspended, Pulis suffered a further setback when Danny Higginbotham failed a fitness test on a back injury.

City's manager recalled Liam Lawrence to the starting line-up in place of Tuncay, while Saturday's matchwinner Salif Diao was recalled in place of Wilkinson.

Pulis decided not to risk Matthew Etherington, despite his return to training this week, so Amdy Faye and Andrew Davies were named among the substitutes.

As expected, Roberto Mancini was without a number of key figures and surprisingly relegated Nigel De Jong and Shaun Wright Phillips to the bench.

Patrick Vieira (suspended), Adam Johnson (cup-tied), Martin Petrov (injured), Carlos Tevez (absent) and Kolo Toure (injured) were all absent.

There was, however, a return to the starting line-up for Craig Bellamy following his recovery from a knee injury and Nedum Onuoha.

STOKE CITY: Sorensen, Whitehead, Huth, Shawcross, Collins; Lawrence, Diao, Whelan, Delap; Fuller, Sidibe. Subs: Simonsen, Beattie, Kitson, Pugh, Faye, Davies, Tuncay.

MANCHESTER CITY: Given, Richards, Onuoha, Lescott, Bridge; Zabaleta, Ireland, Barry, Kompany, Bellamy, Adebayor. Subs: Taylor, Sylvinho, Garrido, De Jong, Boyatta, Wright-Phillips, Santa Cruz

REFEREE: Steve Bennett.