TheCable

Stoke City manager, Mark Hughes, is impressed with the fit-again Osaze Odemwingie and could name him in the squad to face Sunderland in a Barclays Premier League match on Saturday.

The 33-year-old has been on the treatment room since he suffered cruciate knee ligament damage during the 1-0 win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last August.

He only came back to full training last week but could be available against the Black Cats at the Britannia Stadium.

“Peter Odemwingie has looked really good, and whilst we don’t want to compromise him, which we won’t, he will be on the bench tomorrow,” Hughes said.

“It is a real positive for us to have him back in the group and available to get back into the squad again.

“He has put a tremendous amount of work in, his levels of fitness are really good and he has come through everything we have asked of him over the past week or so.

“He is in a real good place and is confident. Obviously he had a really big smile on his face when I pulled him aside and spoke to him about that today.”

After Saturday’s game, the Super Eagles forward still has five more league matches to prove his fitness to the top echelons of the club and handed a new contract after his current deal expires this summer.