Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has claimed that Peter Odemwingie left the club because they could not provide him with regular first-team football.

The 34-year-old joined Bristol City on a loan deal until the end of the season after making just eight appearances this season.

Hughes has warned that other senior players could be shipped out on loan if they are deemed surplus to requirements.

"Peter is a case in point," Hughes told reporters. "He was as far away from the first XI as he had been for some time and opportunities here from now until the end of the season would be few and far between.

"We let him go because we couldn't give him the opportunities he felt his talent deserved and I was in agreement with that. It is not easy to keep senior players happy and if you can't even get them on the pitch and they are sat in the stand it becomes more of a problem.

"But if you have the opportunity to get good players in you have to get them into your club. At some point there will be good players in their own right who will have leave to make room for players coming in."

Odemwingie will not have his contract at Stoke renewed at the end of the season.