Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has admitted that he was expecting the worst when he saw Jack Butland pick up a fresh injury in training on Friday.
The 23-year-old only recently returned to action after missing the end of the Potters' 2015-16 campaign with a broken ankle sustained on international duty with England.
Butland was in line to make his return to competitive action for Stoke in Saturday's meeting with Middlesbrough, only for a fresh setback to cost him a place among the travelling party.
Despite initially fearing the worst, Hughes now expects to see his first-choice stopper back between the sticks at some stage next month.
"We were a bit fearful yesterday, to be perfectly honest. But those fears have been allayed somewhat," he is quoted as saying by the Stoke Sentinel.
"He hasn't re-damaged the ankle in terms of the fracture. He's just had a bang on the front capsule of the ankle and it should settle down in the next two or three weeks."
Shay Given deputised for Butland at the Riverside Stadium as Stoke claimed a 1-1 draw against newly-promoted Boro.
Daniel Lewis
