Hughes has a warning for Stoke’s ageing stars

Manager Mark Hughes has hinted that veterans Glen Johnson, Phil Bardsley and Charlie Adam’s time at Stoke City could be coming to an end.

The trio are all at least 31 years old, with Johnson 32, and their contracts expire at the end of the current Premier League season.

They are part of an aging Stoke squad that also includes 36-year-old Peter Crouch, the striker signing a new contract with the club in January.

But Johnson, Bardsley and Adam might not be so lucky, with Hughes admitting that he is looking to bring the average age of his squad down next season.

Hughes said: “We’ve talked with most of them. With Glen it’s down to game time and he could trigger an option himself by playing, so that’s still on track.

“Phil we’ve had discussions with, and Charlie has obviously intimated he would like to stay.

“You’ve got get the balance right in terms of the make-up of the group. Those guys are good characters as well and you don’t want to lose too many of that type.

“But we can’t carry everybody. We’ve got a group of predominantly senior players and that’s OK, but when everybody is fit and well it becomes more difficult to keep everybody happy.

“So we will be carrying less senior players next year and see where that takes us.”