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ESPN staff 9y

Bojan Krkic close to Stoke first-team return - Mark Hughes

Stoke City are hopeful Bojan Krkic will regain his match fitness "very soon," manager Mark Hughes has said.

Bojan, 24, joined Stoke from Barcelona last summer and had made a bright start to his career in the Premier League before suffering a season-ending knee ligament injury in January.

On Sunday, the forward made his first start since returning to training, playing just over an hour in Stoke's 3-0 Colonia Cup defeat to Porto, but Hughes said he will need more match action before he can be considered ready for to feature in competitive games.

"It was good to give him a decent run out because that's what he now needs," he told the club's official website. "It's important that he gets game time, not just to boost his fitness levels but for his confidence as well.

"It's obvious at the moment that he is not quite there yet and he understands that but with the progress he is making then he will get there very soon, but it's one of those things that will certainly take a bit of time.

"We're very confident of that. He is training every day with the rest of the group now so we will continue to be patient with him and hopefully get him back sooner rather than later."

Stoke get their Premier League campaign underway at home to Liverpool on Sunday and Hughes said the recent friendlies against Cologne and Stoke have helped him to decide his starting XI for that match.

"The past weekend has given me food for thought and I have to take into account the different levels of fitness we've got," he said. "Some of the guys obviously came back a little bit late, so their fitness levels are always in the back of your mind.

"We obviously have players still recovering from operations and the likes of Bojan and Peter Odemwingie coming back from long-term injuries.

"Because of that, we have had to be a little bit careful and look after certain players, which has shaped my thinking for the preseason games we've played. So, come the weekend, I'll be picking and putting my strongest and fittest guys out there."

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