And the striker was not the only one after manager Tony Pulis opted to rest a number of his first-choice players for Wednesday evening's Europa League match against Besiktas (kick-off 6pm GMT) - but did not tell his squad until the last minute. Pulis is expected to play a second-string side, with the Potters having already qualified for the last 32 and the clash coming three days after Sunday's 2-1 victory over Tottenham and three days before another Premier League match at Wolves. Walters told Stoke's website: "We were all told to report for training with our bags packed for the trip to Turkey, but the manager has decided to rest many of the players who started on Sunday because we have another big game at Wolves this weekend." The unexpected time off allowed Walters to join local volunteers in distributing food and supplies to residents of the Bentilee area of Stoke. The Republic of Ireland international added: "It's fantastic to be able to put a smile on the faces of people, especially at this time of year." There is still something to play for on Wednesday night for Stoke, who need a draw to ensure top spot in the group, while the same result would give Besiktas second place. A victory for the Turkish side at the intimidating Inonu Stadium would take them above their opponents, but midfielder Fabian Ernst does not expect an easy ride even if Stoke's stars are missing. He said: "This is not the English mentality. I think they will want to win the game to go into the next round as group winners. You know English teams, they will always give you a good fight. No matter which 11 our opponents have, it will be a tough match. "But I think our chances are good. We played a good away match at Stoke but lost a bit unluckily so we are looking forward to revenge." It has already been a notable week for Besiktas after popular coach Tayfur Havutcu was released from jail on Monday pending a probable trial in February on charges of match-fixing. Havutcu, who will not be in charge on Wednesday but is expected to be at the game, was one of a number of officials and players from various clubs who had been in prison since July, with Portuguese coach Carlos Carvalhal taking over in the interim. The scandal has rocked Turkish football, with the start of the domestic Super Lig delayed and Fenerbahce losing their place in the Champions League as a result. When Walters heard about the journey his team-mates endured getting to Turkey, he would certainly have been glad not to have made the trip. The specially-chartered jet carrying the Stoke party was delayed at Manchester Airport because of congestion in Turkish airspace, and when the team did eventually reach Istanbul they were forced to land at the Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. Another short flight was therefore needed to get the team to Ataturk Airport, where they arrived around 10.30pm local time, three hours later than scheduled and less than 22 hours before kick-off. A statement on Stoke's official website read: "While the club are disappointed at making a late arrival in Istanbul, they have stressed that the circumstances were out of their control." Pulis was clearly irritated by the situation but chose to keep his thoughts largely to himself. The Potters boss said: "At the moment, I just don't want to comment on what's happened. We're all here safe and sound. We just have to get on with it. We'll get a good night's rest and look forward to playing the game. "When we arrived at the first airport, they said there was an opportunity to get a bus across but that would have taken another two and a half hours, so we decided to stay on the plane."
