Callum Robinson was left out of Cardiff City's squad for their 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough after failing to meet certain standards required by manager Brian Barry-Murphy.
The Republic of Ireland international was conspicuous by his absence as the Bluebirds earned a point at the Riverside Stadium last weekend, with his omission initially raising questions from supporters.
Barry-Murphy has confirmed Robinson was unavailable for selection because he had fallen short of the standards expected of players at the club, although the Cardiff boss was keen to stress the forward is back in training and there is no wider issue between them.
Standards Explained
"We have certain standards that all the players have to adhere to before they're considered for selection," Barry-Murphy said ahead of Cardiff's meeting with Birmingham City on Saturday. "Callum missed out on some of those before last Saturday, so he wasn't available, but he's back now."
Asked to elaborate on the standards in question, Barry-Murphy insisted the matter would remain private within the dressing room. "The standards we expect in the dressing room are internal," he said. "We're always judged in public, and that's fine, but the dressing room and how we work day by day are private for us."
The Cardiff manager was also asked whether those standards related to matters such as punctuality and attitude. He declined to confirm that was the case, saying it would be wrong to make assumptions about the reasons behind Robinson's omission.
No Wider Issue
"I think it would be wrong to presume," he said. "There are certain things that are very important for us on a daily basis, but they're for the dressing room and they always have to remain private. As I said, we're judged publicly every week, and we're fine with that. Supporters want to see certain qualities in their team week to week. We have to make sure those qualities remain the case day to day. They have to be private, they have to be ours."
Despite Robinson's absence at Middlesbrough, Barry-Murphy was keen to play down any suggestion of a problem between the pair, describing the forward as an important figure within the squad. "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."
Robinson's omission comes amid a frustrating spell in terms of his involvement on the pitch. The forward has started just one league match this season and has made only nine starts in total since Barry-Murphy's appointment in the summer of 2025.
The 31-year-old has been an experienced presence in Cardiff's squad, but regular starting opportunities have proved difficult to come by under the current manager. Barry-Murphy spoke positively about Robinson's character last season, when the forward was also unable to secure as many starts as he would have liked.
Robinson is now back in training, but it remains to be seen whether he will return to the squad for Saturday's home meeting with Birmingham City.
