Bristol City dropped Sunderland loanee Adam Matthews due to missed training session

Despite being fully fit, the 24-year-old Wales international defender was omitted from City’s 18-man match-day squad for their game against Birmingham City last weekend.

The Robins boss put the “minor misdemeanour” down to a misunderstanding.

Johnson explained: “As I said in the [post-match] interview, it was a minor misdemeanour and was dealt with straight away. It was down to a lack of communication really.

“He was due to be in training with us on the Monday after being released by the Wales squad and didn’t turn up. He thought he had an extra day off and it was a misunderstanding.

“We sent him a text message that he hadn’t read to tell him to be in. He was in Bristol, so it wasn’t like he was out with his mates in Wales. He ended up training later on in that afternoon anyway.”

Johnson has moved to draw a line under the matter.

He added: “We love Adam Matthews and it is not like we have an issue with him. He’s a great lad with a lovely personality.

“He’s unique as a personality and he’s nonchalant. That is part of his genius, but it is also part of why he causes annoyance.”

* Meanwhile, Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater has accepted a Football Association charge of violent conduct and will serve an immediate three-match ban, which will see him miss the Sunderland match a week on Saturday.

The England international will be suspended following an elbow on Watford’s Valon Behrami in the Foxes’ 2-1 defeat at Vicarage Road on Saturday.