Stoke City player's Instagram reveal leaves star in race against time to prove worth to Mark Robins | OneFootball

Jordan Thompson could be nearing a Potters exit after he took to social media to provide an update on his groin injury

Stoke City manager Mark Robins has had over two weeks to assess his new squad now, but midfielder Jordan Thompson is yet to feature under him due to a groin injury, and a new revelation from the Northern Ireland international on social media means he faces a race against time to prove his worth to the club this season.

Robins has used numerous different players in his first couple of games in charge of Stoke, as he aims to figure out which players work best with others, and who he can count on in key moments to give their all to the cause.

Wouter Burger, Andrew Moran and Tatsuki Seko were the preferred midfield trio for Narcis Pelach throughout his ill-fated three-month spell in charge of the Potters prior to his sacking and Robins' appointment, and the former Coventry boss has already utilised, and is likely to continue to utilise those three players in the middle of the park.

The likes of Lewis Baker, Bosun Lawal, and Ben Pearson, when he returns from injury, are also all set to play a part over the next few months as Robins aims to guide Stoke away from relegation trouble, but long-serving holding midfielder Jordan Thompson looks set to be sidelined for the foreseeable future, and could struggle to extend his Potters contract past this season, as a result.

Jordan Thompson issues 'tough' injury update via Instagram

Thompson is Stoke's current-longest serving player, having joined the club in January 2020, and he has been of varying importance to different managers over the duration of his time at the bet365 Stadium, but looked set for a successful season this time around after impressing under Steven Schumacher last term.

The ex-Plymouth Argyle boss was sacked early on in the campaign, however, and he struggled for game-time under Spainard Pelach before a groin issue saw him ruled out of the Potters' game against Preston North End on November 26.

He has now not played a single minute since a late run out a week before that game against QPR, due to his injury, and the club had not confirmed the extent of the damage he had suffered, but Thompson himself has now taken to Instagram to send an update to Stoke supporters on his recovery.

He said: "Operation done ☑️

"It’s been a tough period for me trying to deal with this injury but in the end it needed sorted.

"Road to recovery starts now! 💪🔴⚪️"

As stated, the full extent of his injury was previously unclear, but the revelation that he has undergone surgery to rectify the issue suggests that he could be facing even longer on the sidelines than initially feared.

Thompson looks likely to leave Stoke this summer

Thompson has been a good servant to the Potters over the last five years, but his injury issues this season mean it seems increasingly likely that he will depart ST4 at the end of this campaign.

His contract at the club is up in July, after he signed a one-year extension to his current deal last summer following a good season, so unless he is to force his way back into Robins' side after recovering from his current injury in the last few months of this term, it certainly looks like he will be on his way out of the club.

The Northern Ireland international moved to the bet365 Stadium from Blackpool in January 2020, linking up with then-Stoke boss Michael O'Neill, who he had previously played under at international level for his country.

He had built a reputation as a box-to-box midfielder who could also play higher up the pitch and was comfortable out wide whilst with the Tangerines in League One, but joined the Potters and quickly adapted to playing a more defensive midfield role under O'Neill, where he has stayed in the numerous years since.

He has often been used as a rotational player throughout his time with the Potters, but started 25 games in all competitions in 2023/24, a figure only bettered by his 29 starts in 2020/21, and was a key player in the season's run-in under Steven Schumacher as he surpassed 150 games for the club.

It remains to be seen whether this campaign is to be his last in a Stoke shirt, but for now, his full focus will be on trying to recover as quickly and as carefully as possible from his groin problem, then trying to force his way into Robins' starting eleven to look to earn another new deal this summer and extend his stay at the club past six years.