Seems a bit strange to be honest.

Gilles Grimandi, who has been deputising for Manu Petit, must have thought that he'd get the job alongside Manu (assuming that he returns as expected next week). Gilles certainly seems more suited to the defensive aspects of Patrick's duties than Hughesy. Note that Grimandi will be banned in the Champions League, while Vieira will be banned domestically. So one or other of them should be available for all matches.

And anyway, what's happened to Nelson Vivas? He put in some superb performances last year, and then looked to be a better bet for central midfield cover than either Grimandi or Hughes.

Whatever happens, one thing that's clear is that we shouldn't read too much into the team selection for the League Cup tie against PNE next week.