Stoke's Jack Butland Could Return Within 3 Weeks After Breaking Finger in England Training

Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland could be primed to make an early return, after breaking his finger in training with the England national team.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, manager Mark Hughes claimed the Potters' number one could even recover from the injury within three weeks, in what will be a major boost to the club and its fans.

"He's a little bit disappointed, obviously. We are hopeful it's going to resolve itself as quickly as possible.

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"I have seen the X-ray. It's a misplaced bone in there. We are reasonably confident that once it settles down and Jack can manage the pain, he can get back training and playing."

The Football Association confirmed the 24-year-old had sustained the broken finger on the eve of the friendly against Germany at Wembley, and, hence, missing out on the Brazil game, too.

"It could be three weeks," Hughes added. "It could be four or five. It's about the level of pain he's in.

"Knowing Jack as I do, he's a very strong character. He's very focused in terms of what he needs to do to be the best he can be."

In March 2016, Butland broke his ankle when England traveled to Berlin to face Germany for the first time in three years, keeping him sidelined for over a year.

"Clearly, the injury is not as significant as the previous one he suffered with England, which kept him out for 12-12 months. This is going to be weeks rather than months, and he has that strength of personality."

The former Birmingham number one is expected to miss crunch games in the near future against Liverpool and Spurs.