Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel is not having the season he was expecting when he chose to sign for English championship club Stoke City last summer and has endured a mixed campaign so far. The Nigerian midfielder was signed by Stoke to add more flair and stealth to the midfield department but he has reportedly fallen short of the demands that were set by the club upon his decision to put pen to paper on a contract at the club.

In their most recent match in the league, Stoke suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat at the hands of Luton Town last Saturday at the Bet365 Stadium and Mikel was on the pitch. The former Nigeria international midfielder and captain was making his 23rd appearance for Stoke City since signing for the Potters as a free agent last summer.

Although his cameo appearance against Luton was a little bit encouraging, given that he came off the bench and changed the tempo of the game, he still has not lived up to expectations and as such, is still facing a subtle challenge to cement himself as a starting midfielder. On the afternoon, after coming off the bench, Mikel would go on to make up to two tackles (both successful), while he also helped at the back by making one clearance and winning an aerial duel.

Nick Powell scored the first goal for Luton after 21 minutes and struck a second goal to complete his brace just a little over an hour. Steven Fletcher then took the match further beyond Stoke City's reach by scoring the third and final goal of the game to compound the home team's miseries this season.

After the match, Mikel spoke in a post-match reaction interview and said he knows he can do better for the team and will continue to work hard to be a better player for his club.