Stoke City boss Tony Pulis hopes Peter Crouch can fire them to safety.

The once-feared England ace has looked toothless since Newcastle's Fabricio Coloccini smashed his front teeth out following a mid-air collision in November.

Now Pulis senses his 6ft 7in star is ready to show his ruthless side again for Stoke's crucial final five games.

The Potters boss said: "I don't think anyone realises the damage Peter suffered with that injury.

"He required a lot of surgery to repair the jawbone above his teeth and he had some really serious work done.

"Pete made a good start to the season and looked a real handful. But he suffered a dip in form following the injury to his mouth. It was a major concern in lots of respects.

"We've given him a couple of games out of the firing line recently and, if we do go with him against QPR, he should be fresh and ready to go.

= "Fingers crossed, in the next five games he will get back to where he was at the start of the season."