Manchester City boss Mark Hughes has likened Robinho to his former Manchester United teammate Eric Cantona.

Hughes revealed: "One of the first things he said when I met him was that he couldn't wait to go up against Chelsea - and he has his reasons.

"We are hoping Robinho becomes a talisman for us.

"When you bring a player of his talent in it raises the bar.

"He reminds me of Eric Cantona - when Eric came to Manchester United we were struck straight away by his technical ability. Robinho is simply one of the best players in the world and played for one of the biggest clubs in the world in Real Madrid.

"So nothing will phase him about the challenge he is facing now.

"And maybe because this is a different level it could be the perfect place for him to flourish.

"His talent cannot be denied. What we need to do is give him the means to show it on a consistent level. We want him to be talked about in glowing terms - which maybe hasn't been the case in the last few months.

"We need to get him back to where he was."