Stoke City winger Oussama Assaidi is expected to be on the sidelines with knee ligament damage for around four to six weeks.

Manager Mark Hughes confirmed the injury blow today after Assaidi, who is on loan from Liverpool, suffered the problem during the Potters' warm-weather training break in Dubai this week.

"Unfortunately he's torn his knee ligament and he's going to be out, so they tell me, for between four and six weeks," Sky Sports News quotes Hughes as saying.

"That's a real blow because he was looking really sharp and having a real effect on games for us, but given the medical cover that we have here and the quality of the staff, I'm sure he'll be back sooner rather than later."

The Morocco international has netted four goals for Stoke so far this season.