Friday 8 September 2017 10:29, UK
Stoke boss Mark Hughes says captain Ryan Shawcross is set to miss this Saturday's game against Premier League leaders Manchester United through injury.
Hughes revealed that defender Shawcross, who recently signed a new four-year deal at the club, picked up a back injury in training and is "unlikely" to feature against his former side.
"Unfortunately Ryan Shawcross has pulled up in training and is likely to miss certainly the weekend, hopefully it won't be any longer," said the Stoke manager, ahead of the game at the Bet 365 Stadium.
"He's got an issue with his back. It's not what he's had before in terms of disc injuries, it's ligaments around the back and we have to wait for him to settle down.
"It's unfortunate because he's started the season really well and signing the contract was important for him and us.
"We were always confident the deal would be signed. It's good news but a shame he's injured. He's going to be here for a long time and that's the key."
The Welshman revealed Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who recently signed from Schalke on a free transfer, was one of a number of players who picked up an injury during the international break.
"We had a few issues coming out of international break. (Eric Maxim) Choupo-Moting came off in his first game with a hamstring, we checked yesterday and we're hopeful but there's a little bit of doubt," said Hughes.
"A number of the others came back with little niggles but they won't be the type of injury to stop players playing."
Hughes was full of praise for his former club's unbeaten start to the season, but is hopeful his players can pull off a similar performance to the one that helped them beat Arsenal 1-0 earlier this season.
"Of all the teams they are clearly at the top of the pile. Their performances and the way they've gone about their business has been impressive," Hughes said.
"We had a similar situation last year with Man City, who were not able to sustain it. But the make-up of the Man United squad is very strong and they're playing in a way that their fans will take to and enjoy.
"They expect teams to attack with power and pace and ability. It's very early days. Hopefully there are still things for us to exploit.
"These games are huge for us and we always enjoy them. We hope we can get a similar result that we did against Arsenal."
