Hughton left Eastlands 'not a happy man' after a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City that was made even worse by the suspected broken leg suffered by Hatem Ben Arfa.
The Frenchman was tackled by Nigel de Jong after only five minutes and left the field on a stretcher, requiring oxygen.
But referee Martin Atkinson did not award a free-kick, which suggests the matter will be looked at by the FA if the tackle is deemed to be reckless.
Chris Hughton: "It does not look good.
"He has gone to hospital and we will make an announcement in due course but it looks like he has broken his leg.
"Everyone will have their own opinion but it was a tackle that did not need to be made."
City assistant-manager Brian Kidd: "There is no malice in Nigel whatsoever.
"He is not that type of lad."
Whether the FA take the same stance remains to be seen.