The Potters will be without their January signing for their campaign's first fixture, with the 23-year-old facing a spell on the sidelines with a knock picked up in preseason.

Stoke City will be without American winger Brek Shea for their Premier League opener against Liverpool.

Manager Mark Hughes confirmed that Shea, who picked up a knee injury in Stoke's 2-0 victory over Philadelphia Union on Tuesday, will definitely not be fit in time for the
fixture.

However, the Welshman initially feared that Shea may be out for longer than the "number of weeks" he is now likely to miss.

"It's not as bad as we first feared which is great news for us, but we will still be without him for a number of weeks," Hughes told the club's official website. 

"He certainly won't be available for the first game of the season against Liverpool, but the medical staff here are excellent and we can expect him to be back sooner than people think given the nature of the injury."