Hamman and Ball the latest to feel the wrath of Hughes?

According to the Daily Mail Dietmar Hamann and Michael Ball were ordered to play for City’s reserve team on Tuesday night after instructions to prepare to come on as substitutes in last Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Hull City were ignored.

Hughes is said be to furious with the pair and is considering taking further disciplinary action. Hughes must also decide whether to include the pair in his squad for City's Premier League clash with Arsenal at Eastlands.

Hamann and Ball were ordered to warm up after Geovanni equalised in the 60th minute for Phil Brown’s team, but the City pair appeared reluctant to leave the bench.

Staff are at the club are upset that two senior players, especially the veteran 35-year-old Hamann, would react in such a manner.

>>telegraph.co.uk

It's not been a good couple of weeks for Hughes in terms of squad discipline, with this coming on the heels of the issues with Brazilian pair Elano and Jo which resulted in fines being handed out.

This latest incident with Hamman and Ball though is far more worrying though. The fact that two players of such a senior standing would refuse to warm up is a poor reflection on them both - especially given Hamman's backing for Hughes recently, and perhaps equally worryingly does hint at a certain degree of unrest within the squad.

I accept that both players must be frustrated at their lack of playing time this season since Hughes's arrival but this is hardly the manner in which to show your displeasure, and it does seem that Hughes is putting a few noses out of joint in recent times - something that it is more likely than the current results to put his position under pressure.