Jonjo Shelvey has been told to stay at home after his furious reaction to being named as a substitute against former side Liverpool, according to the Telegraph.
Former Newcastle United midfielder Shelvey was named as a substitute for Nottingham Forest’s clash with Manchester United on April 16, and was set to relive the same fate last Saturday. Steve Cooper is said to have explained in a team meeting that Shelvey would be starting on the bench for the second successive match when he travelled to Anfield to face another of his former sides.
There are believed to be multiple reasons for his absence, including a knock he has been carrying to his calf - but Cooper is said to be unhappy with Shelvey’s performances in training last week and decided to make a stand.
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Shelvey, who departed from Tyneside in January, is said to have reacted angrily to this decision, and confronted his manager following the meeting causing Cooper to instruct him not to travel with the matchday squad.
Forest are on an 11 match winless run stretching back to early February and Cooper’s culture of togetherness he has built in his freshly assembled squad may prove vital in his sides bid to retain their top-flight status.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe couldn’t speak “highly enough” of Shelvey following his departure. "He's been an incredible servant for the football club over many years,” Howe said following Shelvey’s winter transfer.
“In dark times as well for the club, he has always stood up and given his best for the club. I can't speak highly enough of him as a player and as a person, and we're devastated to lose him."
Shelvey left after an injury ravaged start to the season saw him fall down the pecking order at Newcastle, but he expressed his love for the Magpies following his “difficult” decision to leave.
"It was a difficult one because my kids are settled there in school so it's a hard decision to make, but I felt like I needed a fresh start," he told Forest TV in his first interview since the move.
"I loved my time at Newcastle. I will never ever have a bad word to say about anyone at the club. I've got a lot of friends there on and off the pitch that I've made and formed friendships that will last a lifetime.
"But I felt, for me, personally, I needed to come away from it and get myself a new challenge. I still feel I've got many years left in me so I wanted to come away and really put my football knowledge and experience to another club."
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