Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross out "for at least two months"

Stoke City have confirmed that captain Ryan Shawcross will be sidelined "for at least two months".

Having dealt with a back injury for much of last season, the club had hoped that the summer break would ease the problem.

However, having been assessed by the medical staff at the Britannia Stadium over recent days, it has been decided that the 27-year-old should undergo surgery next week.

As a result, the centre-back has been ruled out of action until the start of October at the earliest.