Fulham captain Danny Murphy fears losing Mark Schwarzer to Arsenal this week.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is desperate to secure Schwarzer's experience as a replacement for Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski, but Hughes is determined to keep hold of the Australia international.
Former Liverpool, Charlton and Tottenham man Murphy also recognises the importance of his team-mate and admits that it would be a tough task to replace the ex-Middlesbrough star.
"It's a difficult one because, for me, he's been one of the best two or three keepers in the Premier League for the past few seasons and he's a fantastic guy," said Murphy.
"He's a good leader on the pitch and a wonderful goalkeeper. I didn't realise how good he was until I played with him.
"It would be a huge loss to lose him, especially if we didn't replace him. We've got a great young goalkeeper in David Stockdale, who is a bit inexperienced, but is of real potential.
"I think, though, you'd need someone who's of similar experience to Mark. I don't think the club would let him go without replacing him, but he's going to be very difficult to replace if he does go because of the fact he's done so well for us.
"I hope he stays, but I understand that sometimes when the big clubs come calling, it's difficult to turn down."
