There is no ‘bad blood’ with Emi Buendia in the Norwich City dressing room, insists club stalwart Alex Tettey, saying that head coach Daniel Farke ‘adores’ the Argentinian ace.
Buendia has started the Canaries' last three games on the bench, after missing the 2-1 loss at Tottenham at the end of last month with a thigh issue, having been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award for December.
City have failed to score in those three matches and Farke spoke publicly and frankly about Buendia's need to improve ahead of Sunday's 3-0 defeat at Wolves, highlighting his search for a first goal of the season.
The 23-year-old again cut a frustrated figure as he played the final 30 minutes at Molineux, storming straight down the tunnel at full-time.
"Emi, with his right mind and attitude in place, is a top player, he's shown that with his assists and with the way that he has played with his passion and everything," City's longest-serving current player Tettey said. "Not everyone is at the training ground day in and day out, so you guys don't know everything that is going on.
"The manager is the boss, he sees things and he understands the way he wants to handle it. I personally talk to Emi whenever he has done something wrong or doesn't do anything, I go to him and tell him because I'm not afraid to tell him. As the good lad that he is, he takes it in the right direction and works hard.
"There is no bad blood or anything going on, it's just the manager sees what he sees in training, body language and attitude-wise and then he picks the team that he thinks will do well.
"So there is nothing bad going on there. The manager very, very much adores Emi's football and the way that he plays, so he will be back quickly and back in contention again, I'm not worried about that."
Tettey recently signed a contract extension through until the end of next season and is just two appearances from moving into joint 50th place in City's all-time list, alongside Martin Peters and Malky Mackay - but is not focused on such personal accolades.
"Whenever I finish with Norwich, if my name is somewhere then it's good but personally I don't think about that," the former Norway international said.
"If you are in the (history) books, you are in the books for what you have done and the work you've put in, so if I am here and doing everything I can to help the team and get games, it's great.
"If I don't get games, I'm backing the lads up, so my mind is never on records or on getting a testimonial.
"I've told Stuart (Webber) I don't want a testimonial or anything, it would be too much about me, and that's not me.
"I'm here trying to give my best, I've always done that and that's why I'm still here."
- For more on Bunedia's frustrations, see the latest edition of the Pink Un podcast above
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