Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has revealed that he expects Ryan Shawcross to return to fitness in the coming days.

The 27-year-old has sat out the Potters' first three games of pre-season, including the 6-0 win over Wrexham on Wednesday evening, with a recurrence of a back injury that saw him miss seven matches earlier this year.

However, speaking after his side's impressive display at the Racecourse, Hughes provided a positive update on the fitness of skipper Shawcross.

"We hope Ryan will get some game time this weekend," the Welshman told reporters. "He's suffering a minor back injury but should be fine."

Stoke head to Brentford for their latest pre-season outing on Saturday, looking to make it three wins on the bounce.