Stoke City Chairman Peter Coates has stated that the club are open to extending Peter Odemwingie's contract.

Odemwingie has been out of action since August after suffering a cruciate ligament injury and only made a return to first-team training last week.

There is still a possibility that Odemwingie could play a role in Stoke's campaign, but the Nigerian could depart upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the season.

However, Coates told The Sentinel: "We hope to have him back playing as well as he was before his injury. I've had some encouraging reports about him from the training ground and I am certainly optimistic for him.

"He will be an asset for us if we get him back playing for Stoke City, and that is certainly the intention. These things take time, patience and a lot of effort, but we will do all that we can as a club for the best possible outcome for all concerned."