For the second successive home game, Cameron Jerome has a date with a former club – and Lou Macari is wary of what that means.

A curtailed pre-season prevented the 28-year-old from starting Norwich City's season-opening defeat against Crystal Palace – where Jerome spent most of the 2013-14 season on loan. And he should have been credited with a goal too, only for his equaliser to be controversially ruled out.

Jerome was restored to the starting XI at Sunderland, and was back to his bustling best too as City ran out comfortable winners – perfect timing,ahead of Stoke's visit to Carrow Road, where Jerome spent three seasons on the books.

'It won't make Saturday any easier for Stoke that Cameron will be lining up in attack against his old club and feeling like he has a point to prove,' said Macari.

'Carrow Road hasn't really changed from when I was playing in terms of the crowd being noisy and in your ear hole.

'But maybe the team has more substance and is a bit tougher nowadays. And credit for that must go to Alex Neil.

'He got Norwich going in time to get them up and now they've made a bright start back in the big time.'

Stoke's adjustment under manager Mark Hughes since Norwich were last in the top flight has been stark, with the Potters finding their style and finishing ninth – their best season in 40 years.

And on Saturday they have the option of handing a debut to marquee signing Xherdan Shaqiri, following the former Bayern Munich midfielder's £12m from Inter Milan.

A narrow home defeat to Liverpool was followed by a draw from 2-0 at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

'Out of nothing, near enough, Stoke had a valuable and deserved point at Tottenham at the weekend,' added Macari, in his weekly column for the Stoke Sentinel.

'And they take that to Norwich on Saturday where they can be sure they face just as tough a game.

'Norwich were unlucky not to win their first game at home to Crystal Palace and then on Saturday, they were ruthless enough to take a poor Sunderland to the cleaners up on Wearside.

'Stoke must show the same spirit that got them through a tough time at Spurs – and not allow Norwich a 2-0 lead of course.'

The Canaries took four points off the Potters last time the two sides shared top-flight status.