Stoke manager Tony Pulis has received a major boost with the news striker Kenwyne Jones’ ankle injury is not as bad as first feared.
The club’s record signing lasted just 14 minutes in his debut against Wolves at the weekend and there had been fears he could be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
However, scans have revealed only minor ligament damage and Pulis expects his £8m signing to return to action in the near future.
He told the Potters’ official website: “The news is as good as we could have expected in the circumstances.
“We were obviously very concerned about the extent of the damage over the weekend, but the tests have shown only minor ligament damage.
“We will assess Kenwyne’s progress over the next few days, so it is hard to say how long he will be out, but we are talking days rather than weeks or months.”