Stoke City defender Danny Higginbotham has been ruled out for up to six months with knee ligament damage.
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Higginbotham suffered the setback in the closing stages of the 1-1 home draw against Chelsea on Saturday and a series of scans have revealed the full extent of the injury.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis told the Sentinel: "It's a rupture and I'm devastated for the kid. It's a big blow for the team because Danny had just come back into the side and was doing so well.
"Hopefully he will return to training by the back end of pre-season but it's hard to be precise right now.
"We look after our own at this club, so once he gets over the shock of the injury, Danny knows he will be getting the best possible care and treatment.''
Higginbotham will now miss Stoke's FA Cup semi-final against Bolton at Wembley.
