Mamady Sidibe is hoping to make his comeback for Stoke City in October following knee surgery.
Striker recovering after surgery on knee injury
Mamady Sidibe is hoping to make his comeback for Stoke City in October following knee surgery.
The Mali striker ruptured his cruciate ligament before a reserve match last month and has undergone an operation to repair the damage.
He will miss the remainder of Stoke's battle to stay in the Premier League, but could play a small part in pre-season training.
However, the 29-year-old believes it will be the autumn before he is pressing for a return to Tony Pulis' starting line-up.
Stronger
"The surgeon told me they have done everything they had to with the knee and they are very pleased," Sidibe told
The Sentinel.
"He said it was a complete rupture, so it was the right decision to have the operation straight away.
"Having it now should make me stronger for next season, but I know there is a lot of work before I play again.
"I come back to Stoke in May to begin some work with the physios, then I think after three months I can start jogging.
"I can probably start good training after four months, then if everything is all right I would be back in October or November."
Sidibe had scored three Premier League goals prior to his injury and manager Tony Pulis will not take any risks with the player's fitness.
Pulis said: "It seems as though everything has gone smoothly for Mama and that is what we wanted to hear.
"It would be great to see him join in pre-season training in some capacity, but we won't be afraid to take things slowly and put the brakes on to ensure he's truly ready."
