Hughes: Dunne will play vital role

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Dunne looked to be heading out in the the summer and was linked to a number of clubs including Portsmouth, who visit Eastlands on Saturday, but Hughes made it his priority after arriving from Blackburn to ensure the Republic of Ireland defender stayed on board.

Hughes said: "After my appointment one of the first things I did was to speak to Dunney. He was away on holiday and everyone was talking to me about his future. But I hadn't actually spoken to the boy himself. He needed to hear from me that I wanted him to be part of what we are doing here."

He added: "It was a case of 'don't do anything until I've spoken to you'. I was able to settle him down and we were able to do that very quickly.

"He's key to what we wanted to do here. He's captain of the club and if I'd have allowed him to go it would have sent completely the wrong message out - to the fans and to the dressing room.

"It's quite possible the fans were resigned to losing him. We had to address it very quickly, thankfully we did that and he's very much a big part of our future."

With a Carling Cup match at Brighton to follow on Wednesday, Hughes could be tempted to shuffle his pack for the game with Portsmouth.

City are looking to get back on track in the league after losing to Chelsea last weekend.

Brazilian striker Jo, who scored 44 goals in 77 games for CSKA Moscow, looks certain to start after his first goals for the club in the 2-1 victory against Omonia Nicosia in a UEFA Cup first round first leg match.

Hughes said: "He is an outstanding young player and we feel he has the physical presence to make a real impact in the Premier League."