Manchester City boss Mark Hughes admits he will more than likely cut back on squad numbers at the club.

Hughes has pulled together a high-quality list and although results haven't mirrored the players at his disposal, he believes if he can tighten up the squad, things will turn.

"When I first got the job I thought the squad was imbalanced. I think it is better now, but there are some issues we have to address," he explained in The Guardian.

"Although we have bought players in, we haven't shed a great deal. We will have to do that because we have to have a manageable squad.

"Ideally, you would want 23 or 24 and then have academy players of sufficient quality to back them up.

"If you have more than 25 it is difficult to have a meaningful training session and I have never been a manager to tell players that because they are not involved, they can train in the corner with the reserves."