George Burley has hit out at this morning's reports that Matteo Sereni had gone back to Italy without permission. The Town manager says that Sereni spoke to him prior to his return home and that there is no fall-out between player and club.

Burley said: Yes, Matteo and his family are back in Italy but only after he spoke to me and asked permission to go home for a few days. It was his birthday on Monday and, since he hadn't been back to Italy in several months, I thought this was the ideal time for him to have a break. Where's the big deal? It is hardly a secret that we have a three-week gap between first team games, or that the players were going to have some time off. I said last week that the foreign players would have an opportunity to get home for a few days. I spoke to Matteo on Saturday. He wasn't able to be on the bench against Liverpool because he had a problem with his neck but he had treatment on that and I gave him permission to return to Italy. It's as simple and straightforward as that and I am very disappointed that people are making a scaremongering story out of nothing, especially when I read it in a local paper."

Rumours had been rife regarding Sereni since he was left off the bench at the weekend and had returned to Italy. Now it seems it was all a storm in a teacup.

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