Stoke boss Tony Pulis says the injury to West Ham's Luis Boa Morte will not stand in the way of his bid to sign Dean Ashton.
The Potters boss has been chasing the striker for for some time in an attempt to bolster his attacking options.
However, Hammers winger Boa Morte suffered cruciate knee ligament damage during his club's defeat against Tottenham in the Asia Trophy on Wednesday.
The Portugal winger is likely to be sidelined until January and the injury setback prompted suggestions it could impact on Stoke's bid to sign Ashton.
Pulis, though, is still confident of sealing a deal for Ashton before the summer transfer window closes.
"Whether we do sign Dean or don't sign Dean, I'm not sure what happened to Boa Morte is an issue," he told the Stoke Sentinel.
