Lucas Digne has set the record straight about his Everton omission.
Digne was a notable absentee from Rafael Benitez’s side for their 2-1 victory against Arsenal on Monday night which ended an eight-game winless slump.
Benitez confirmed post-match that he chose to stand down the France international in favour of handing Ben Godfrey a starring role at left-back.
He said: “I think as a manager you have to make decisions and you have to do your team selection.
“I decided that Ben Godfrey could be a good option for us for this game.
“He did really well so I am really pleased with that. That’s it.”
However some reports subsequently alleged that the reasons for Digne’s withdrawal was due to a personal falling out with the Blues’ manager.
Posting on Instagram, the 28-year-old shot down those claims and insisted Benitez’s decision was taken from a purely from a footballing standpoint.
“Don’t believe everything you read,” wrote Digne.
“Only one thing matters: the club.
“What a fight – what a win against Arsenal, guys!
“I was sad not to play. I was looking forward to be playing for Everton as always.
“The manager chose not to select me. That’s football.”