Stoke boss Tony Pulis admits the knee injury of Wilson Palacios means Potters fans are unlikely to see the best of the midfielder until next season. The 27 year olds impact for the Potters since his arrival from Tottenham has been minimal so far, the Honduran starting only 16 of the Staffordshire outfit's 41 games in all competitions and rarely completing 90 minutes.
"We knew that it would take patience as much as anything to get Wilson through a period where not only did we get him fit, but also that we didn't work him so hard that it affected his knee.
"But he has looked sharp in training and he has got himself together a little bit more.
"We still have to be careful with him, so we won't get the best out of him until next year I don't think.
"(He played well) for a period (against City), and that is what we are doing for the moment, playing him just for periods of time.
"We still don't think he is ready for 90 minutes (regularly) and we will do it the way we think is the best way to do it, in respect of the medical advice we are getting."
As far as Pulis is concerned the key thing for now regarding Palacios is that he does not suffer another major injury.
"He joined with an injury that needed a lot of care and attention and that is what we have given him," Pulis said.
"I think we have seen signs and patches of his quality within games that he has played in or come on in.
"But the important thing is that we see him through this period and that he doesn't pick up another injury to set him back, because that would be really soul destroying for him." "After the first month, we knew it was going to be a while," Pulis said.
