Hughes wants a smaller squad in order to bring in some major signings in the summer.
He said: “Although we have brought players in, we haven’t shed a great deal. We’ll 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.
“When I first got the job I thought the squad was imbalanced. I think it is better now but there are some issues to address.”
