David Unsworth has dismissed Morgan Schneiderlin and Kevin Mirallas’ training ground furore as ‘something of nothing’.
The pair missed Everton’s win over Watford before the international break due to an apparent fallout at the club’s Finch Farm base on the eve of the game.
Schneiderlin and Mirallas were accused of showing a perceived lack of commitment during a session with Blues first-team coach Duncan Ferguson.
Both players were reportedly ordered to leave Finch Farm and faced uncertain futures at Goodison Park as a result of the alleged incident.
However Unsworth insists that the incident was overplayed and backed Schneiderlin and Mirallas’ social media comments about the claims.
He said: “I have seen that particular story and there’s a lot that has been written that was wrong, that was false.
“I’ve seen both players’ comments which I fully support. It was something of nothing. Both were given an option of finishing their training and that was absolutely fine.
“In this day and age you can’t sneeze without people finding things out. There’s no real story.
“Morgan has trained all week and has trained really well. I’ll get the opportunity to speak to Kevin this morning to see how his week away with Belgium was.
“But both players will be available and as far as I’m concerned there’s no story.”
Asked if there were any doubts about the pair’s commitment to Everton, Unsworth added: “Absolutely not. I know they’re both fully committed.
“If they’re not in the team, and they’re not in the squad, would they both be disappointed? Absolutely – and you would want that.
“There’s something of nothing in that [story] honestly. I can assure all the Everton fans that both players are fully committed to this great club.”