Last Updated: Thu, 01 May 2008 11:31
Alex McLeish says he has not fallen out with Daniel De Ridder and claims he left him out of the Birmingham side for football reasons.
The injury-hit winger has not featured for Blues since the FA Cup upset at Huddersfield Town and fears he may not be among McLeish's plans after a confusing chat with the manager.
However the boss has hit back to confirm he opted to use Sebastian Larsson on the right wing with Olivier Kapo or Gary McSheffrey on the opposite flank ahead of De Ridder due to the Blues' style of play not suiting him.
McLeish told the Mail: "When they're fit, it's been my decision to pick Larsson, Kapo and McSheffrey ahead of him.
"We all have opinions, and that's mine. Another manager might see it differently, Danny might see it differently. But that's what I've decided. I told him that if we were more of a passing team, playing in a European style he's more familiar with, it might suit him better.
"We're not a slick passing team and Danny's used to the Dutch and Spanish leagues, where he's seen a lot of the ball."