New faces can fire up our season - Everton boss David Moyes

Having started the campaign by naming the most inexperienced bench in the club's history, Moyes is relieved to see that things are starting to get back to normal and his options will be bolstered further once Tim Cahill, Steven Pienaar and Tony Hibbert are available again.

But after losing two of their opening three fixtures, Moyes is anxious that Everton do not give any more ground away and has challenged his players to get a result in the Potteries that will provide lift-off.

"We have needed to get everyone back in and I'm looking forward to getting them going again over the next month," said Moyes, whose side face a run of seven fixtures between now and October 5.

"We want to work on getting a balance and blend to the way that the team plays and we haven't been able to do that really up until now. We have been without a lot of players - Fellaini, (Segundo) Castillo and Joleon, for example - and we need them back quickly.

"It is difficult when you do not have players to work with because of the international break. You want to try and move things on. I do not feel that we have started the season well and we want to put that right as soon as we can."

Stoke remain many people's favourites to finish bottom of the Premier League but they have made a solid start to their first top flight campaign for 23 years and Moyes expects a searching examination at the Britannia.

"Stoke are a strong side and have earned their right to be in this division," said Moyes. "I know Tony Pulis quite well and he has done a really good job. They are organised and powerful and we know they are going to be hard opponents, particularly on their own ground."

The Blues, meanwhile, were today expecting to discover the severity of Lars Jacobsen's dislocated shoulder. The defender was injured during Denmark's 3-2 win over Portugal and the last Everton player to sustain a similar problem was James Vaughan.

He was sidelined for four months in 2007 but that was due to him needing surgery to repair damaged muscles and Moyes will hoping Jacobsen has not suffered the worst case scenario. It's suspected though that he may need a 12 week lay-off.