Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland has urged management to make some January signings.

Stoke are now managerless after Saturday's dismissal of Mark Hughes.

“I think it would help," Butland told the Stoke Sentinel. "We need some big characters.

"We need to get some ability, some more talent in and get a lot better at playing as a team, because we've not been doing that."

Meanwhile, Stoke's First Team Coach Eddie Niedzwiecki will take charge of the squad for training on Monday after the removal of Mark Hughes.

Assistant Manager Mark Bowen is understood to have also left Stoke, and even though Niedzwiecki has worked alongside Hughes at six different clubs, he has been persuaded to stay on for the time being.