Afellay delighted with Stoke comeback

Stoke City may have slumped to defeat at Liverpool on Tuesday but Ibrahim Afellay still went home happy after making his first appearance of the season at Anfield.

The midfielder, who joined from Barcelona in 2015, suffered a serious knee injury in April – keeping him out for eight months.

But he replaced Mame Biram Diouf with 15 minutes remaining in the 4-1 defeat at Liverpool, and could feature again on New Year’s Eve as Stoke travel to Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

The defeat extends Stoke’s winless run to four games, but Afellay is remaining positive after his first action of the campaign.

“Of course I’m disappointed by the result, but to be back out on the pitch, it’s a fantastic feeling,” Afellay said.

“I am happy that I came on and got some minutes. I’ve worked very, very hard for it and now I can look forward to the upcoming games.

“I have to thank everybody at the club for their help and I have special thanks for the support from the fans for the way they welcomed me back.

“It really is a fantastic feeling to feel that support and I appreciate it a lot.”