TONY PULIS today revealed plans to add a behind-closed-doors training match to Stoke City's training camp schedule in Austria as preparations for the new season got into full swing.
City will face the Turkish Super Lig champions Bursaspor in Thursday's game, one that will see Tuncay come up against his fellow countrymen in Irdning.
Pulis wanted to assess the progress of his squad's pre-season work before deciding whether to play a match during the eight-day visit to Austria, but he has now decided to line up some match action for the Potters as part of their training schedule.
Bursaspor, a club located in the north western city of Bursa, was formed in 1963 and has the nickname of the Yesil Timsahlar (the Green Crocodiles).
As well as becoming only the second Anatolian club to win the Super Lig last season, their other honours have included the Turkish Cup once, the Prime Minister's Cup twice and the TFF First League twice in their relatively short history.
Bursaspor's record in European competitions is most notable for an appearance in the quarter finals of the European Cup Winners Cup in 1974-75.
"Having weighed up a number of factors, we feel this game will be a good test for us at an appropriate time in our schedule," said Pulis.
"Not only was it important to gauge the progress of our fitness work before committing to a match out here in Austria, we also needed to weigh up the options that were available to us in terms of opposition once we arrived at the training camp."
