The 29-year-old Stoke City midfielder had hoped to avoid surgery to recover from a problem which ruled him out for the final few weeks of last term but has ultimately needed to go ahead with a procedure that involves a long recovery process. The likely time frame suggests he will be ruled out for the opening 10 games or so of the season, on top of the challenges that come with missing pre-season.

Pearson joined Stoke initially on loan from Bournemouth in January 2023, reuniting with Alex Neil, his old boss at Preston.

 

He signed permanently last summer for a fee believed to be under £500,000 on a four-year contract. It was a stop-start season, making just 22 league starts, and it ended in mid-March when he limped out of a home defeat to Norwich.

Steven Schumacher said: “Yeah it’s bad news. It’s something that’s frustrating, especially for Ben. He’s been in throughout the summer as you’d imagine with the physios and something just wasn’t right with his hamstring, something that went undiagnosed, and he’s ended up needing an operation that is going to put him out for a further few months.

“It’s disappointing for him, I’m gutted for him, but it’s something as a football you need to get your head around. These things can happen. I’m sure he’s in good hands and he’ll get back on the pitch as soon as possible.”