Stoke skipper Ryan Shawcross ruled out for two months
Thursday 6 August 2015 16:17, UK
Ryan Shawcross will miss at least two months of the new season as he requires back surgery.
The Stoke City captain missed six weeks last season with back trouble and has played just 60 minutes of Stoke's pre-season programme because of the problem.
The club have now confirmed he will undergo surgery in a bid to correct the issue.
A club statement read: "Ryan Shawcross is to have the surgery next week and will be unavailable for first team selection for at least two months.
"The central defender has suffered a recurrence of a back problem that troubled him last season. The club had hoped surgery would not be necessary and that the summer break would provide a solution.
"That initially appeared to be the case but the harder Shawcross pushed himself in pre-season the more discomfort he found himself in, leaving no alternative but for him to undergo the operation."
Shawcross has played more than 300 games for the club since joining on a permanent deal from Manchester United in January 2008.
