City boss Steven Pressley has moved quickly to quash reports on striker Leon Clarke...
Coventry City manager Steven Pressley has denied reports that striker Leon Clarke is available for transfer.
Scunthorpe manager Brian Laws was quoted yesterday on their official website saying, "He’s available because of Coventry’s current financial situation."
Clarke has featured in all three of City's matches so far this season, netting his first goal of the season from the penalty spot in the 5-4 win over Bristol City.
At Thursday's pre-match conference, the City boss expressed his disappointment at the comments from the League Two club.
Pressley said: "The other thing I would like to talk about is that Scunthorpe, on their own website, have spoken about one of our players who is currently under contract which I just cannot accept.
"Firstly, it is completely inaccurate that Leon Clarke is available due to our financial predictment. Nothing could be further than the truth.
"The second thing is to put it as a leading story on their website, talking about somebody else's player, it's inexcusable.
"I can't understand how any club could do that. I know Brian Laws was prompted into answering the question but he shouldn't be talking about any player that is contracted to another club.
"Leon Clarke is a player who is crucial to our plans going forward and I demonstrated that last week by giving him the captain's armband.
"That sort of speculation can destabilise a club and it is completely untrue, which is disappointing.
"Anything can happen in football, I know that as well as anybody but I will repeat what I said last week in terms of Leon, or our other senior players for that matter, and that is they are not for sale."