Stoke City midfielder Steven N'Zonzi has aired his frustrations at being left out of manager Mark Hughes's starting team in recent weeks.

The 25-year-old was dropped for all of Stoke's matches in February before returning to the starting XI for the Potters' 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Saturday.

"I'm not going to lie, it hasn't been easy for me, but I have played many games, so I was a little bit tired, and there are also many good players at Stoke," Sky Sports News quotes N'Zonzi as saying. "You have to be quiet, wait your turn and keep working hard.

"It was not easy for me because every football player wants to play every game, but you cannot because there is competition and other good players who can play.

"That's how it is. That's football. You have to carry on and learn from it, and I think I have learnt from it. I spoke to Mark Hughes a little and he said he was being fair to all the players, and he has been."

N'Zonzi's stint away from the side came about after he was sent off against Sunderland on January 29.