Rangers coach slams Bruno Alves claims as '˜disrespectful' and '˜wrong'

Rangers centre-back Bruno Alves. Picture: SNS

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It was reported earlier this week that the Portuguese international had a bust-up with Murty after being told he’d be left out of the starting XI for the second game in succession.

Murty, though, insists this was not the case and the player’s absence was down to nothing more than a back injury, which will keep him on the sidelines for this weekend’s match with Dundee.

He said: “Bruno is a consummate professional. You are impugning the character of a European champion.

“It is wrong. And for someone to go and print that story, with no basis in fact, is disappointing to me personally and very disrespectful to the club.

“More importantly, to the player, it is properly out of order. Bruno has not taken the story well. I have told him the club are strongly denying everything.

“Bruno is not incensed but his words were that, in all his career, he has never once refused when he has been part of a squad to be any part a coach has given him.

“That story casts his character into doubt, which is completely wrong. More importantly it gets Rangers fans, who want to see someone like Bruno Alves playing, confused with the messages coming out of here.

“The story did not come from here. The story came from completely away from this place because it is not true in any way, shape or form.”