Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy has dismissed questions over Callum Robinson's long-term future at the club as "irrelevant" amid continued speculation about the forward's place in his plans.
The 31-year-old Republic of Ireland international has been left out of the Bluebirds' squad for their last two Championship matches. He was initially omitted from the 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough after failing to meet standards set by the Cardiff manager, and was again absent for last weekend's victory over Birmingham City.
No Guarantees on Return
Ahead of Saturday's trip to Wolves, Barry-Murphy offered no guarantees that Robinson would return to the squad. "Every squad is the same for us," he said. "We train today, train tomorrow and then we pick the squad for Saturday's game."
Pressed on whether Robinson had a long-term future at Cardiff, the manager declined to engage with the speculation. "Game by game for us, always," he replied. "All that stuff about speculation and what's going to happen in the future is irrelevant to me."
Limited Game Time Under New Regime
Robinson has struggled for regular game time under Barry-Murphy, starting just nine league matches since the manager took charge in the summer of 2025, including only one this season. He was a regular figure in the Cardiff side before Barry-Murphy's arrival and won the club's player of the year award the last time they were playing at this level.
Despite his experience, attacking qualities and regular goals, the forward has been unable to establish himself as a consistent starter, with the manager favouring other options in attack. Asked whether he understood why supporters might question Robinson's future given his lack of starts, Barry-Murphy acknowledged the frustration of being out of the team. "Always. All the players want to play," he said. "I would like to play them as much as I could, but I can only play certain players and try to pick the best team for every game based on what I see."
Disciplinary Issue and What's Next
The comments come seven days after Barry-Murphy revealed Robinson had been excluded from the Middlesbrough squad because he fell short of expected standards. The manager refused to elaborate on the nature of the issue, insisting such matters should remain behind closed doors, and cautioned against making assumptions about the reasons for the initial omission.
Despite the disciplinary issue, Barry-Murphy stressed last week there was no personal problem between himself and Robinson. "Callum's a great guy," he said. "He's been a great player for us and a great person, so there's no problem whatsoever. I'm very pleased to have him back in training this week."
However, his subsequent omission against Birmingham, coupled with the manager's reluctance to offer assurances over his longer-term future, means questions remain over where Robinson fits into Cardiff's plans. The Bluebirds have taken 10 points from their last five Championship matches and are beginning to climb the table following a difficult start to the campaign.
With competition for places in Barry-Murphy's attacking unit following the return to fitness of Rubin Colwill, and the January transfer window approaching, Robinson faces a battle to force his way back into the side. Whether he is handed that opportunity at Wolves this weekend remains to be seen.
