Nahki Wells is expected to return to action in three to six weeks after suffering a minor ankle injury.

The Huddersfield Town striker has had a screw removed which used to pin an injury he sustained while playing for Bermuda in a home friendly against Puerto Rico in 2008.

Wells, 27, who is out of contract at the end of this season, did not travel with his team-mates to Austria for the Premier League club’s pre-season camp.

David Wagner, the Huddersfield head coach, has confirmed the former Dandy Town Hornets player is facing competition from new signings Steve Mounié, Laurent Depoitre, as well as Collin Quaner and Elias Kachunga.

“Nahki was unfortunately one of the setbacks of pre-season having started very strongly,” Wagner — who is also monitoring injuries to Jonathan Hogg and Martin Cranie, which are ruling them out of their maiden Premier League game away to Crystal Palace tomorrow — told the Huddersfield Examiner. “We were very happy to find out what his ankle problem was and he had an operation at the beginning of this week.

“It was a small surgery, it was successful and there are no further issues or problems.

“It will take three to six weeks to ease back, but we are very happy it is nothing major. Everything has been successful and now we can progress his rehabilitation.”

Wagner added: “Maybe we can get him back before the international break [in a month], but if not he will be back in full training after that.

“Martin Cranie has a hip injury which will take four to six weeks recovery, while Hoggy [ankle] should be back on the grass at the end of next week with the fitness coaches, and I hope we can use him before the international break.”

Wells had been attracting interest from other clubs and was linked with a £10 million move to Sky Bet Championship side Reading — who Huddersfield beat in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium in May to gain promotion.

Wagner said there had been no firm offers for the Bermudian who scored ten goals during Huddersfield’s promotion-winning campaign.

Wells’s former club Bradford City are closely monitoring the situation.

The League One club have a substantial sell-on clause in the deal that took Wells to the John Smith’s Stadium for a fee that is now believed to have topped £1.75 million in add-ons.