Mark Hughes wary of Chelsea backlash

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has insisted that his team are playing Chelsea at the perfect time, despite admitting that he is wary of the Blues responding to suffering two successive defeats.

The Potters have won four out of their last five games to move up to 10th in the standings, but Hughes believes that Chelsea will be eager to bounce back from losses to Crystal Palace and Paris Saint-Germain.

The 50-year-old told reporters: "From our point of view, it is certainly the best time to be going, but what you find with top clubs is they bounce back very quickly.

"When questions are asked of them, more often than not, top teams and top players have the answers. We have got to be mindful of that and be ready for something of a backlash."

Stoke beat Chelsea 3-2 when the two teams met at the Britannia Stadium earlier in the season.