Stoke City assistant manager Mark Bowen is confident that Lee Grant can ably deputise for the injured goalkeeper Jack Butland.

Grant will be handed a run in the Stoke City first team for at least a month following an injury sustained by Butland during the international break and Bowen has no doubt that the veteran goalkeeper will be able to fill in the void, having impressively done so last season as well.

Bowen said: "He's come in before and done very well for us and we are expecting him to do the same again. A couple of weeks ago Lee Grant, I daresay in his own mind, was feeling a little bit fed up and thinking it's going to be a long season.

"Things turn very quick and all of a sudden he's back in again and the one thing you know about Lee is that he trains like a Trojan out there. Even the last few weeks when he's been in the dressing room, he's one of the voices you'll hear at half-time if things aren't going so well.

"Even before the boss has started sitting the lads down to get his point across, Lee is one of the players you can hear in the background going round either encouraging or chastising players. It just goes to show the character he is."