Richards has fallen down the pecking order at Eastlands and Pablo Zabaleta is currently Hughes’s first-choice right-back.
Tottenham are reportedly interested in signing Richards in January.
Hughes said: “Micah Richards is not going anywhere in January. He is a big part of what we are trying to do here and we know he can improve.”
He added: “Don’t forget, he is still a very young man.
“His football experience is great for someone of so few years and sometimes he doesn’t get enough credit for that. But he is nowhere near the finished article. There is a huge amount of potential still to be tapped into.”
