Hughes: I love the Christmas schedule

The forthcoming weeks are a particularly busy time for players and managers in the Premier League, but Stoke City manager Mark Hughes relishes the bumper festive schedule.

Hughes is preparing his side for their fourth match in two weeks when they face Leicester City on Saturday, and will also have to negotiate three matches in eight days over the turn of the calendar year, but the Welshman loves the fact that Christmas time in the Premier League makes for a glut of top-flight meetings. 

"I loved it as a player and I love it as a manager too," he told stokecityfc.com.

"We are quite a unique country that we play over this period, but that is a tradition of British football. A few of the lads come here and scratch their heads wondering what is going on, but they soon buy into it.

"There is always a really good atmosphere around the stadiums, and hopefully we can bring a bit of cheer to our supporters." 

See: Stoke team news v Leicester