Tony Pulis: Jonathan Woodgate could play for England again

Tony Pulis believes that Jonathan Woodgate, who could make his first start in 20 months against Hajduk Split in the Europa League on Thursday night, can return to the England setup if he proves he has recovered from his long-standing injury problems by playing regularly for Stoke City this season. Woodgate joined Stoke this month on a free transfer from Tottenham Hotspur, after three and a half largely frustrating years at White Hart Lane, where he spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch. He made only one appearance last season – as a substitute against Milan in the Champions League – and has not started a match since November 2009, when he picked up a groin problem that proved serious and led to speculation about whether his career might be over. Pulis, however, is optimistic that Woodgate will prove to be a valuable acquisition. The Stoke manager has been encouraged by Woodgate's fitness levels in pre-season training and believes that the club's medical team can "manage" the central defender in such a way that he will have every chance of rediscovering the form that won him eight England caps and led to a total of £37.5m changing hands for his services. "Woody has been brilliant," said Pulis, ahead of Stoke's third-round qualifier first leg at the Britannia Stadium, when the Midlands club will be returning to European competition for the first time in 37 years. "What we will have to accept, and we've done it with players like Matty Etherington and Ricardo Fuller, who have a history of injuries, is [we need to] manage them through the week. "They get paid for playing on a weekend and if we can get them through the games and manage them through the week, that's what we're going to have to do. I think our medical team are first class, they have a system of working that might be different to other clubs but it works for us. "I think the first thing with Jonathan is to get him up to a level of fitness where you're comfortable in letting him play again. Once that happens we're going to have to take a view. He's not a young lad, he's an experienced player and if he feels tired or a bit down in respect of his health then he tells us. "I'm obviously desperate to get him playing Premier League games because I think if we get him fit then we've got one of the best centre-halves in the league. He's got an opportunity and a chance to play on a regular basis. If he does well he could even get called up for England again." Pulis said Woodgate is eager to play in a fixture that will provide a measure of how far Stoke have come since he returned to the club for his second spell as manager five years ago. "To have the opportunity of playing a European game at the Britannia against such a famous side as Split is first class," he said. "The place will be rocking."