London: Stoke City’s Nigerian international forward Peter Odemwingie faces a lengthy spell out of action after sustaining a knee injury, manager Mark Hughes revealed on Thursday.
Odemwingie, 33, was stretchered off in the 65th minute of Stoke’s 1-0 win at Premier League champions Manchester City last Saturday and must now undergo an operation.
As a result, he has been left out of Stoke’s 25-man squad for the Premier League, meaning he cannot be registered to play before January.
“He’s going to have some kind of procedure, but the medical staff are waiting for the knee to settle down,” Hughes told the club website.
“He’s going to have to wait a couple of weeks before it’s actually done, but once the operation is done we know he will work extremely hard to get back.
“It’s a significant injury and unfortunately it’s a long-term one, but Peter has a great attitude to work and life in general — he’s always got a smile on his face — and he’s going to need those qualities.
“It will be a long road back, but we wish him well.”
Odemwingie joined Stoke from Cardiff City in January and has scored five goals in his 18 appearances for the club.
