Ibrahima Sonko has urged Stoke City teammates to stay positive about their Premiership survival prospects.
Sonko told BBC Radio Stoke: "It's far too early to be panicking about where we are.
"We knew being in the Premier League would be tough, we just have to try and play well when we get the chance."
The Potters meet Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday at the Britannia Stadium in what will be a battle of the Premier League's bottom two clubs.
However Sonko does not see Spurs as a side who will be threatened by relegation come the end of the season.
"Tottenham are not a side who we will be competing with to avoid relegation, they are just going through a bad patch," said Sonko.
"It's obviously a big game for us and it is a good time to play them because they haven't yet found their feet.
"Every game is a six-pointer to us and the Spurs game is an opportunity to get our season started properly."