The England international suffered a back injury in training and will almost definitely sit out this weekend’s clash, although Hughes is hopeful the defender is only absent for the one match.
"Unfortunately, Ryan Shawcross has pulled up in training and is likely to miss certainly the weekend, hopefully, it won't be any longer,” said Hughes.
"He’s got an issue with his back. It's not what he's had before in terms of disc injuries, it's ligaments around the back and we have to wait for him to settle down.
"It's unfortunate because he's started the season really well and signing the contract was important for him and us.
"We were always confident the deal would be signed. It's good news but a shame he's injured. He's going to be here for a long time and that's the key."