Stoke City boss Mark Hughes says Bojan Krkic is upbeat over his season-ending knee injury.
Some estimates are putting his comeback at later in the year after he ruptured his cruciate knee ligament at Rochdale on Monday.
But Hughes said: "He is very philosophical about it, he understands that is football and these things happen.
"It is a significant injury which will need time, but he is a good pro with a strong mentality.
"There's no reason for the injury, it's a million-to-one chance. If you put the leg in that position and put that stress through the ligament there's a chance it might pop.
"But he's very positive. He knows there's a lot of hard work ahead of him and he's likely, hopefully, to get back for pre-season."