Team News: Gareth Bale returns for Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur will welcome back Gareth Bale for their Premier League encounter with Stoke City this afternoon.

Bale has missed Spurs' last three games with a hamstring injury, but returned to full training earlier this week.

The Welshman comes in for Clint Dempsey in one of three changes for Andre Villas-Boas, who also drops Kyle Naughton and William Gallas to the bench in favour of Steven Caulker and Michael Dawson.

Stoke, meanwhile, make just one change to the side that drew 1-1 with Everton last week as Ryan Shotton returns from suspension in place of Charlie Adam.

Tottenham: Lloris; Walker, Caulker, Dawson, Vertonghen; Sandro, Dembele, Lennon, Bale; Defoe, Adebayor Subs: Friedel, Naughton, Gallas, Livermore, Sigurdsson, Townsend, Parker

Stoke: Begovic; Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Cameron; Shotton, Whelan, Nzonzi, Etherington; Walters, Jones Subs: Sorensen, Upson, Palacios, Whitehead, Kightly, Jerome, Crouch