Stoke boss Tony Pulis said he and his players were devastated after on-loan midfielder Rory Delap broke his leg in two places against Sunderland.
Pulis said: "It's devastating for Rory. His tibia and fibula have been broken and I don't know how long he'll be out.
"All of my players came across and saw it and it took the steam out of them. I felt some had it on their minds.
"It's a pity Rory won't be around for a while as having him and Lee Hendrie on the wings gave us a great balance."