Boss Roy Keane has dismissed a newspaper claim that he isn’t speaking to midfielder Owen Garvan. A report last week claimed Garvan had told friends that Keane is no longer talking to the Irish U21 skipper.
Keane said: "I was speaking to him on Thursday, I spoke to him two weeks ago. I take comments through the media, especially from Ireland, with a pinch of salt.
"It’s not my style to ignore my players, but then again, I certainly don’t have chit-chat with them every day in my office.”
Keane says Garvan is showing the right attitude while he is out of the squad: "Owen’s got to keep his head down. He had an opportunity two weeks ago to go out on loan [to Colchester], he turned it down, but that’s not a problem, that’s his decision. There’s every chance he’ll get his opportunity over the next few weeks.
"I say that to all my players, I judge them by their actions, how they perform day-in, day-out, not on two days a week.
"I know he’s working hard doing extra work with the fitness coaches, which is good to see.”
Keane says that defender Ben Thatcher, who is yet to play since the change of manager in April, has suffered a recurrence of his knee ligament injury: "He had another set back two weeks ago.
"I think it happens with players coming back from injury, he’s had two or three, not major ones but which have put him back another couple of weeks. We hope to have him back on the training pitch next week.”
Keane previously suggested that Thatcher was out of his plans for failing to keep to his rules but now says the former Welsh international will treated the same as any other member of the squad once he is fit: "Like everyone else at the football club he will have his chance. As I keep saying, if they train properly, perform, are on time for training, they’ll have a chance.”
Meanwhile, residents of Aldeburgh have complained of being kept awake by Keane’s dogs’ constant barking.
Labrador Triggs and German Shepherd Izac have upset their new neighbours with one resident telling a national newspaper: "It's ridiculous how they bark. Some residents can't get a wink of sleep."
A council source says the matter is being investigated: "This is a serious complaint and will be looked into. He won't get special treatment."