Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has revealed that the injury suffered by Ryan Shawcross last weekend is not as bad as first feared.

Initial reports suggested that the Stoke skipper would be sidelined for around a month due to a back problem he picked up during the 3-0 defeat to Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

However, Hughes is now hopeful that he will have Shawcross back available sooner than that after the injury 'settled down'.

"He feels a lot better and the injury seems to be settling down. Initially we said three to four weeks, but hopefully it will be sooner than that," Hughes told reporters.

Stoke will be without Charlie Adam for the near future, however, after the midfielder was ruled out for up to six weeks with a calf tear.