Mark Robins must start to utilise £1.7m Stoke City man ASAP - Junior Tchamadeu blow is looming | OneFootball

Maksym Talovierov has struggled for game time at Stoke City since his summer move from Plymouth Argyle

Maksym Talovierov was Plymouth Argyle's record signing less than 12 months ago, yet since his summer move to EFL Championship side Stoke City, he has found his game time to be drastically limited.

Having come whiskers away from relegation to League One last season, the Potters have surprised many by asserting themselves in and amongst the automatic promotion places in the early stages of this season.

Their 2-1 home defeat at the weekend to Hull City was a crushing blow for the Potters, who could have remained in 2nd place after 18 games, but Joe Gelhardt had different ideas, firing a late winner beyond Viktor Johansson in the Potters' net.

Victories for every team surrounding them mean Stoke are back in the play-off places, and whilst most Potters fans would have taken that at the start of the season, many can't help but be disappointed with their side slipping beneath both Middlesbrough and Millwall once again.

Under manager Mark Robins, Stoke still have the best defensive record in the league, conceding just 14 goals at this stage, four fewer than the next best Coventry City.

A large reason for that has to go down to Swedish international Johansson in goal, though Robins has had a steady back line for much of the campaign, rarely changing his selections unless they are enforced or merely rested.

Junior Tchamadeu, Ben Wilmot, Ashley Phillips, and Aaron Cresswell have been the most consistent back four pairing, with Bosun Lawal coming in and out of the side due to injury, whilst Eric Bocat has rotated with Cresswell at left-back.

This has led to little chance for Ukrainian summer signing Maksym Talovierov, who has been limited to just one Championship appearance so far this season, much to the surprise of many.

Maksym Talovierov has barely featured for Stoke City since his summer move from Plymouth Argyle

Talovierov, 25, joined Plymouth Argyle in January 2025 for a club-record £1.7 million from Austrian side LASK, and featured prominently in the Pilgrims' defence as they were ultimately relegated to League One.

The eight-time capped Ukrainian international made 11 second-tier appearances during his time with the Devon outfit, playing a crucial part in their win over Liverpool and scoring away at Manchester City in the FA Cup.

Stoke decided to sign Talovierov this summer for the same fee that Plymouth had outlayed just months prior (£1.7 million), and was expected to slot straight into their defence, but that has yet to transpire.

Ashley Phillips' surprise return on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, Ben Wilmot being made captain, and the resurgence of Bosun Lawal have seen his game time drastically limited.

He is still ahead of Ben Gibson in the pecking order, though his one Championship appearance for the Potters to date will no doubt be disappointing for the Ukrainian.

His one and only appearance away at Portsmouth, which saw him play out-of-position at right-back in Junior Tchamadeu's absence, saw him earn a place in the Championship Team of the Week as the Potters prevailed as 1-0 winners.

Following the game, manager Robins said, "He is a good player, he’s an international player. He’s someone who has waited and waited and waited for his opportunity and he’s had it now in a position that is not really his first choice, but he’s shown the character we want and we like from our players."

He has been bench-ridden for the following six fixtures, and with the January window and AFCON approaching, Robins simply must consider utilising him sooner rather than later.

With the African Cup of Nations set to begin in three weeks, there is a real possibility that Stoke will be without first-choice right-back Tchamadeu for the following few weeks.

English-born Tchamadeu has represented Cameroon on four occasions to date, though he hasn't played a match for Les Lions Indomptables since January 2024, with Wolverhampton Wanderers' Jackson Tchatchoua preferred at right-back.

Despite this, the 21-year-old is in line for a call-up for his country this winter, in what will be a huge blow for Stoke.

However, what on the face of it may be a disappointing loss, it could present an opportunity for Talovierov, who performed admirably at right-back at Fratton Park this season.

Although he is naturally a centre-back and will likely not get forward nearly as much as Tchamadeu, the Ukrainian's defensive solidity is obvious to see, and he could slot in that position if called upon.

With Lawal recently returning to action against Hull, Wilmot's injury not as bad as first feared, and Phillips impressing on a weekly basis, Talovierov's best route into the Potters' side may be an unorthodox one, but, at this moment, his only one.