Stoke manager Mark Hughes hopes Jonathan Walters won't require surgery to cure a knee problem.

The Ireland forward missed Wednesday's Premier League defeat by Manchester City, but Hughes believes Walters can get over the problem without an operation.

"It just needs managing, we feel," said the Potters boss. "There's thing we can do, procedures that are out there, that will settle things down and then once he gets the required rest, which will probably come in the summer, hopefully that will resolve it by itself.

"We're hopeful [that] with good management - which he's getting at the moment - he'll be fine."

MH: Jon Walters looks like he could be ok. We left him out on Wednesday with the sole purpose of hopefully having him available on Saturday.

— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) February 13, 2015