Frank Lampard has criticised Ross Barkley for a lack of professionalism after a video appeared online of the Chelsea midfielder partying topless in Dubai during the international break but the head coach insists that the England international will remain a big part of his plans once he returns to full fitness.
Barkley has not travelled to Valencia for tomorrow night's crucial Champions League Group H game but is also recovering from an ankle injury.
It is not the first time Barkley has caused headlines for the wrong reasons this season. He was dropped for the trip to Lille following an incident involving spilt chips in the back of a taxi in Liverpool having missed a late penalty in the opening defeat against Valencia at Stamford Bridge in September.
Asked about Barkley being left behind, Lampard said that it was a combination of his ankle injury and the off-field incident but said that he still backs the 25-year-old.
"There are two separate issues," Lampard said. "One is the headlines this week. Ross knows how I felt about the first headline. I backed him then and I still back him now.
"But he showed a moment of a lack of professionalism as far as I'm concerned. It's not something that I want to be a pure dictator because I understand that all my players are humans and have lives.
"I don't police every moment of their lives and I don't think it's a terrible thing that he has done.
"Ross has had an injury and he's still kind of carrying the injury, feeling a bit of pain when shooting, so he just has to work his way back in in terms of the fitness, train well. I certainly don't hold anything against my players. I like Ross, he's certainly one of my players.
"It's something he now needs to show all his reactions on the pitch."
Callum Hudson-Odoi, Antonio Rudiger and Marcos Alonso have also not travelled. The former is nearing a return from injury and could be fit to face West Ham United on Saturday afternoon, while Rudiger is back in training. Alonso is fit and has been left behind for tactical reasons.
