Both star striker Emmanuel Adebayor and skipper Kolo Toure will be part of the three-week festival in Angola next January as Togo and the Ivory Coast take their places in the 16-team competition.

That absence will be keenly felt but there is also a suggestion the respective nations will be calling their players into a training camp a fortnight before the tournament actually begins.

Such a move, if enforced, would rob City of the former Arsenal duo for the Festive programme, which includes matches against Stoke and Wolves.

There will also be an FA Cup third round tie to play on January 2 and the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final - if City beat the Gunners in Wednesday's last eight encounter at Eastlands - which could take place 48 hours before the tournament begins.

Given there are another four league games, plus the potential for two more cup ties, discounting the possibility of replays, before the players return at the beginning of February, they could be missing for a total of 10 games.

Little wonder therefore that Hughes is hoping to open negotiations about departure dates.

"There is a suggestion that there may be a preparation period that has to be factored in, which we are obviously aware of," he said.

"There will be a number of communications between the associations involved in terms of the release date for British-based players.

"A lot of other leagues have a break over the Festive period that allows them to meet up earlier.

"I think there will be an understanding that we have a crucial period of the season coming up and that will be taken into account."