Stoke City midfielder Nick Powell has been handed another blow in his pursuit of returning to full fitness. 

The Staffordshire club have confirmed that the 27-year-old has tested positive for Covid-19, which will subsequently halt his progress as he strives to return to first-team football. 

In mid-October, Powell suffered an injury to his leg with the immediate reports suggesting that he would be sidelined for eight weeks. 

It remains to be seen if this latest setback will make any sort of impact on when he is expected to be back for.

Powell has once again been an important figure for The Potters when he has been available this season, with the midfielder chipping in with five goals and an assist in his nine Championship appearances thus far. 

Despite being an integral member of the squad, Stoke have managed to climb the table to fourth in his absence and will be hoping to maintain this play-off push as the season progresses. 

The verdict

Two of Stoke's more important players are facing lengthy spells on the sidelines at the moment, but The Potters have not let this negatively impact them. 

Instead, they have climbed up the table and put together a three-game winning run, in which they have not conceded. 

The return of Powell will be a massive boost in Stoke's push for the top six this season, but they are proving that they are not reliant on his services. 

The Potters will be hopeful of securing a sixth successive victory tomorrow evening when they travel to Bristol City.