City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and owner Sheikh Mansour have lost faith in the Welshman following their 3-0 defeat at Tottenham on Wednesday.
If City beat Sunderland at Eastlands today it will not change the owner’s mind.
Guus Hiddink and Jurgen Klinsmann has been lined up on a list of possible replacements for Sparky.
Hughes has spent £250million on the City team since being appointed as manager at the club in June 2008.