Stoke City manager, Mark Hughes, has declared that the consistent injury problems of Nigeria’s international winger, Victor Moses, will have no influence whatsoever on whether he is signed on a permanent basis.
Moses, currently on a season-long loan from Chelsea, has suffered from persistent injury problems this term raising doubts about Stoke’s plans to seal a permanent deal for his services.
The winger limped out of Saturday’s 1-1 Barclays English Premier League draw at West Ham just before half time with suspected hamstring trouble.
It represents a third spell on the sidelines with injury during his season-long loan at the Britannia but Hughes says that will not be a factor in the decision over the 24-year-old.
Hughes is hoping his latest injury is a slight ligament strain, not a hamstring problem, and says it is not connected with previous fitness concerns for Moses.
“Because he is an explosive player, the hamstring is always a danger and so he will always be a bit susceptible to those kind of injuries,” Hughes said.
He added that the Nigerian had been impressive in previous games for the club and that that will be the main factor to consider when making a decision over his future.
“But that won’t affect my thinking on other decisions we make with Victor.
“He has done well for us this season, but he is a Chelsea player and so they decide on the timing of talks,” he said.
Saturday’s premature withdrawal was Moses’ third in a Stoke shirt after enjoying such a successful start at the club earlier this season.
A thigh injury at home to Burnley on November 22 saw him return to Chelsea for prolonged treatment and miss nine Stoke games.
And another leg injury at West Brom on March 14 contributed towards him going a month without any action before Saturday’s return to the starting eleven.
Hughes however remains positive about the prospects of his Nigerian import.
“We will get him back fit and well. He did have a problem with his thigh and they are a notorious injury, but he’s had no re-occurrence of that,” he said.
Despite those injury setbacks, however, Moses has begun to re-establish his reputation in the wider world after previously losing his way at Chelsea and then enjoying only six Premier League starts on loan at Liverpool last season.
The former Wigan Athletic man has started 19 league games for Stoke since arriving from West London last August.
