Stoke City boss Mark Hughes has backed Republic of Ireland striker Jon Walters to "come back strong" from his knee operation and predicted the 32-year-old will be back in action before the end of the Premier League season.
Walters underwent surgery on Wednesday but is confident he'll return to full fitness in time for the summer mission to France.
Walters was a key figure for Martin O'Neill in the successful qualifying campaign and has forced his way back into the picture at Stoke after looking certain to leave the Potteries last August.
Norwich and West Brom were heavily linked with the 32-year-old before he penned a new deal with Stoke in November, and Hughes has faith the tireless frontman will bounce back quickly.
"With regards to Jon the operation is one that has taken us aback a little bit to be perfectly honest, because we didn’t even realise there was a problem," Hughes said.
"He went for a scan and it has shown he has a tear in his knee cartilage. He has had it before and he was back in three weeks. It might not be so quick this time, but it was something that needed to be done.
"We hope he has no setbacks, and we don't envisage there being any"
"He will be back strong, and maybe he will be back before the end of the season. We hope he has no setbacks, and we don't envisage there being any."
Walters himself is similarly relaxed about the setback, telling Independent.ie: "I've had a similar one done before and was back playing in less than three weeks so I'll be grand."
Hughes also commented on Jack Butland's injury heartache, the goalkeeper's ankle injury potentially opening the door for Shay Given to take the No 1 jersey.
Butland was carried off on a stretcher during England's 3-2 defeat of world champions Germany and will miss the finals in France.
Given has been named in Stoke's squad for Saturday's trip to Leicester but Dane Jakob Haugaard is expected to start.
"We are disappointed for [Butland], but from my point of view, as a club and a team, we will miss him because he has played a big part in what we have achieved," Hughes said.
"By all accounts the operation was successful and straightforward, and we expect to have him available to us for the start of pre-season. It's just a real shame for him that he won't be able to feature for us over the final seven games or at the European Championships in the summer."
