Stoke boss Mark Hughes certain Saido Berahino will come good
Friday 7 April 2017 11:19, UK
Mark Hughes believes Saido Berahino will make his mark on the Premier League next season.
The 23-year-old joined Stoke from Premier League rivals West Brom in January in a £12million deal.
But Berahino is yet to get off the mark, having missed almost five months of action at West Brom, including an eight-week drugs ban.
"He hasn't played a lot of football this year and he's still getting up to speed," said Hughes. "These games are invaluable and I feel we will see a marked difference next season.
"It's always difficult coming in at half-term but he's integrated well into the squad and we want to get him up and running in terms of goals."
Hughes has also revealed that a decision on midfielder Giannelli Imbula's future will not be made until the end of the season.
Imbula has featured just 12 times for Stoke in the Premier League this season and has been reportedly linked with a summer move away from the Bet365 Stadium.
"It's fair to say Giannelli has struggled this year in terms of having an impact but any decision on any player won't be made during the season", Hughes said.
"It's not fitness or injury. He's struggled for a bit of form and struggled at times to understand what is required in the Premier League.
"We all see his talent but there are other elements which aren't as strong as his ability on the ball.
"He hasn't had as many games as he or I would have liked - but he's still got time and I hope he will impress in those."
Imbula has dropped down the pecking order and played just 35 minutes over the last 13 matches, but Hughes stressed the 24-year-old was a worthwhile buy.
"He had a bright start but it's about a consistent level of performance and he's struggled to maintain that", the Stoke boss said.
"He's a good player, that's why we've invested a lot of money.
"There's more to come from him from a footballing point of view but at the moment there are players ahead of him who can make an impact."
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