Hughton loos set to rest him for tonight's Carling Cup second-round trip to Accrington Stanley ahead of Saturday's league visit to Wolves.
The manager will use the depth of his squad, and is making no bones about where his priorities for the season lie.
Hughton: "For us, we have to approach the game and give it the respect it deserves, but we have also got to be mindful of where we are as a squad at this particular moment.
"It is also an opportunity to play a lot of the players who have been on the fringes.
"This league is such a tough and demanding league and whereas perhaps last season, some young players who were on the fringes were able to get some games or were able to be on the bench, it will be tougher for them this season.
"We have to look for those opportunities as well and this competition fits very well into that."