Sorensen was forced to leave the field against Chelsea with a back injury

Stoke City are waiting for news on the injuries suffered by James Beattie and Thomas Sorensen in the 2-1 defeat by Chelsea on Saturday.

Striker Beattie fell awkwardly on his ankle in the early stages, while Danish goalkeeper Sorensen hurt his back and was replaced by Steve Simonsen.

"We think Thomas has hurt his back more than anything else," Stoke manager Tony Pulis told BBC Radio Stoke.

"James has rocked his ankle but we're not sure how long he'll be out."

The stoppages for the injuries to Beattie and Sorensen contributed to a total of 13 minutes of added time, during which Florent Malouda scored the winner for the Premier League leaders.

"Whatever time he [the referee] plays, you have to defend right," said Pulis. "We've still got to deal with the situation.

"But you know as well as I do that the top four or five clubs will get a bit more grace than the rest.

"There was no one in my team that you could criticise for not giving everything. We gave Chelsea a run for their money. They know they've been in a game."

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