Stoke City manager Mark Hughes believes that his side are in "better shape" following the sale of Kenwyne Jones.

The 29-year-old joined Cardiff City in a swap deal involving Peter Odemwingie heading to the Britannia Stadium.

Before Jones's exit, the Trinidad and Tobago international was fined two weeks' wages after refusing to make himself available for Stoke's 5-3 defeat to Liverpool on January 12.

"Kenwyne was frustrated because he wasn't playing," Hughes said in a press conference. "I said at the time I didn't think it was the correct way to go about it. He will say he was justified because he got a move and a longer contract.

"When you enter a [transfer] window, the key is at the end of it you want to be better than you were when you entered it. I think we are in better shape now than we were at the beginning."

The Potters are currently 11th in the Premier League table.