Stoke recall midfielder Baker from Blackburn loan
New Stoke City boss Mark Robins has recalled midfielder Lewis Baker from his scheduled season’s loan with Blackburn Rovers.
The 29-year-old former Chelsea youth player scored the only goal of the game to beat Robins’ Coventry City on the opening day of the season.
But he was then allowed out on loan to fellow Championship side Blackburn on transfer deadline day in August.
He has made 13 appearances to help Blackburn to seventh place in the Championship, 12 places and 12 points ahead of Stoke.
But he has returned to The Potters in time for Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie at Sunderland.
“It was clear in discussions with Mark that he believes Lewis can play an important role in our squad,” said sporting director Jonathan Walters.
“With the best part of 300 career appearances to his name, Lewis will add invaluable experience, while his technical ability is something our supporters will be well aware of.
“Having started each of Blackburn’s four fixtures over the festive period, he returns ready to make an immediate impact.”
Baker, originally signed by former boss Michael O’Neill on loan from Chelsea in January 2022, is currently on a three-year deal with Stoke, which expires at the end of this season.
Lewis Baker’s second-half penalty ensured a share of the spoils at Deepdale as Stoke battled back to draw 1-1 with Preston in the Sky Bet Championship.
Kaine Kesler-Hayden bagged his first goal for the Lilywhites in the 10th minute before Baker levelled with a 75th-minute spot-kick.
It was no more than the visitors deserved after mounting up a great deal of pressure, particularly in the second half, but Preston would have been disappointed to lose the lead after holding out for so long.
Both teams came into this with just three league victories in their last 12 combined and there was a sense of that struggle with Preston finding it hard to generate attacks and Stoke continually spurning good openings.
The visitors nearly went ahead in the fifth minute when Million Manhoef stormed onto Ashley Phillips’ hopeful ball over the top, only to be denied by a recovering slide from Jordan Storey.
But Preston took the lead shortly after as Kesler-Hayden’s shot from the centre of the box trickled in via a deflection after the Aston Villa loanee was found by Sam Greenwood.
