Stoke City manager Gary Rowett has played down talks of a rift with Austrian defender Moritz Bauer, despite the player turning out for the U21s and U23s recently.

The 26-year old signed a new five-year deal in the summer, but has recently been asked to appear for the U23 side against Manchester United, as well as the U21 team in the Checkatrade Trophy this week.

Bauer hasn't helped the situation, tweeting a cryptic message this week that said 'You got to hide the anger. Practising smiling in the mirror. It‘s like putting on a mask.' Still, Rowett suggested that Bauer offered to play in the games and that shows his dedication, rather than his unhappiness.

“He has been very professional," he told Radio Stoke, as reported by the Stoke Sentinel. "He’s offered to play in those games, which I think shows a level of dedication, and that is the honest and truthful answer. I’ve had no real rift with Moritz."

He went on to explain why the defender was recently dropped from the first team and moved to play down the recent speculation of a fall out.

"I felt that in the first two or three games of the season Moritz needed to defend better individually, that’s why he was taken out of the team, but I know he’s a good player and I know he can offer us a lot going forward, so I’ve been surprised as anyone really to see the furore around this situation.”

The Verdict

The story doesn't entirely add up. Bauer's tweet was cryptic, but easy enough to read between the lines. It also contained a black and white picture of him, suggesting he was unhappy at something.

He's gone from the extreme high of a new deal to the low of lining up with the kids and that has to affect a player. The manager might not have a problem right now, but it seems as though Bauer does.