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Stoke City have been rocked by an injury to star goalkeeper Jack Butland ahead of Saturday afternoon’s Premier League opener with Boro .

The England international goalkeeper will miss the Riverside curtain-raiser after jarring his ankle in training on Friday, the Potters have confirmed.

It’s a huge personal blow for the Bristol-born 23-year-old, who was forced to miss Euro 2016 after fracturing his ankle during England’s 3-2 warm-up victory against world champions Germany in March.

That means Mark Hughes’ side could turn to former Boro loan star Shay Given, who is competing with Danish stopper Jakob Haugaard for a starting role this afternoon.

Given, 40, could be given a frosty reception at the Riverside should he get the nod - one year after the Republic of Ireland international slipped through Boro’s fingers at the final moment.

Aitor Karanka and the Boro hierarchy thought they had agreed a two-year deal for the 100-time capped Republic of Ireland goalkeeper in July 2015 and expected Given to arrive on Teesside to finalise a Riverside return.

But Stoke made a last-gasp raid to snatch the veteran shot-stopper at the eleventh hour - with Given opting for Premier League football with the Potters.

“The Premier League was a big pull,” Given said after completing his move to the Britannia Stadium .

“Obviously Middlesbrough is a great club as well but I just felt the chance to stay in the Premier League was too big to turn down, and hopefully I’ll get that chance.”

But it’s been far from an ideal stint at Stoke for the ex-Newcastle goalkeeper, who has managed only five games for the Potters in the last 12 months.

Two of his three top-flight appearances last season ended in heavy 4-0 defeats to Tottenham and Manchester City.