Fresh from the latest news surrounding Stephen Ireland's withdrawal from the Republic of Ireland squad at the weekend, Sven-Goran face his weekly press briefing, with many questions about his midfielder.
The Blues boss said this afternoon: “I’m disappointed with Stephen, he’s made a stupid mistake.
“I won’t crucify him over it, I’ll speak to him tomorrow in training, if he’s okay he’ll probably take his place in some part of the game on Sunday.
“Stephen Ireland is a fantastic football player, he’s young, maybe he’s had some problems now, but I like him - both as a person and a footballer.”
When asked if Stephen has an international future, Sven replied: “Absolutely. Football-wise, for sure he has an international future.
“He’s a fantastic midfielder, he can play left, right or centre and he’s very young.”
