The midfielder travelled around 10,000 miles to link up with his national team but is still yet to play this season

Fans, too, are divided. Some have expressed sympathy for the player, pointing to the club’s recent instability both on and off the field. Cardiff have endured a rollercoaster few seasons — financial troubles, management changes, and inconsistent form have all taken their toll. “There’s obviously more going on behind the scenes,” one supporter posted on social media. “Players don’t just vanish for no reason.

Maybe he’s not being treated fairly.” Others, however, have been less forgiving. “No one is bigger than the badge,” another fan tweeted. “If he doesn’t want to be here, let him go. Cardiff needs commitment, not drama.”

The situation has also prompted questions about internal communication and player welfare within the club. Cardiff has faced previous criticism for the way it has handled sensitive player matters, including mental health issues and contract disputes. Some pundits have urged the club to take a more transparent and supportive approach before the situation spirals further.

“If there’s something personal happening with this player, Cardiff need to handle it with care,” said former Welsh international Danny Gabbidon. “But if it’s disciplinary, they need to be firm. Either way, clarity is essential. The fans deserve to know what’s going on.”

Behind closed doors, sources suggest that senior management has been holding crisis meetings to determine how to respond. One insider hinted that the club is weighing up whether to issue a formal statement or keep the matter internal for now.

“They’re in a tricky position,” the source said. “If they say too much, they risk damaging the player’s reputation or affecting a potential transfer deal. But if they say nothing, it just fuels more speculation. It’s a lose-lose situation.”

Erol Bulut, who is already under pressure to secure a strong Championship finish this season, is said to be growing increasingly frustrated with the distractions surrounding his squad. “He’s a manager who values discipline,” one club staff member said.

“He expects professionalism, and when that’s missing, it drives him mad. He’s trying to build a team culture based on respect and accountability. Incidents like this completely undermine that.”

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Alex Robertson during his last international call-up for Australia in October 2023(Image: Getty Images)

Cardiff City midfielder Alex Robertson returned to international duty with Australia this month — but didn’t feature in either of the Socceroos’ friendlies as his wait for football continues.

The 22-year-old was called up by boss Tony Popovic for the October window, but was not included in the matchday squads for the 1-0 win over Canada or the 2-1 defeat to the United States despite 10,000 miles of travelling.

Popovic said earlier this month that the Bluebirds midfielder had made himself available and was being closely monitored by Australia’s medical staff, but alluded to a “situation” at Cardiff that he wanted to get to the bottom of.

“Alexander has made himself available for the Socceroos, he wants to play for Australia, he informed us of that about a month ago,” said Popovic.

“Since then, we have been monitoring him. The medical and physical staff, conditioning coaches have been in regular contact with him to understand what he’s doing.

“I just felt it was a good time to see where he is now. He has no minutes under his belt. He has a situation at Cardiff which I need to understand a little bit better from him.

“It’s a chance to really see his current level, how he is in our environment. Then we hope he gets game time and we can understand where his base level is without football.

“If he gets the football – which we anticipate he will – it gives him an opportunity to be selected for the World Cup. If not, then we have the Asian Cup that follows.”

This international break appears to have represented an opportunity for Popovic to assess Robertson, more of a fact-finding mission in terms of where he is at, both physically and in terms of his club, rather than making him a focal point of the squad.

Before the international break, Cardiff head coach Brian Barry-Murphy revealed that Robertson was pain-free and back in full training, but admitted he still needed to show “more intensity” to force his way into the Bluebirds’ competitive midfield.

“He’s back in full training and he has to show that he’s ready to compete with the other players,” Barry-Murphy said.

“He obviously got injured in the last game of pre-season, and while he’s now fit, he’s not yet at the intensity level required in this group.

“It’s good news he’s pain-free and ready to compete, but he still has to reach that standard.”

It leaves Robertson in a curious position. He is widely regarded as one of Cardiff’s most talented midfielders, yet appears to remain on the periphery of Barry-Murphy’s plans — with Ryan Wintle, David Turnbull, Joel Colwill and Dakarai Mafico all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Cardiff City Football Club has been thrown into turmoil this week after one of their star players was reported missing from training yet again, with manager Erol Bulut demanding urgent answers over what insiders are describing as a “deeply concerning and mysterious club situation.”

The unexplained absence marks the second time in just a few weeks that the player has failed to appear without prior notice, sparking confusion, speculation, and growing frustration within the Bluebirds’ camp.

According to sources close to the club, the situation reached boiling point earlier this week when the player — a key figure in Cardiff’s attacking lineup — was nowhere to be seen during a closed training session at the Vale Resort. Staff had expected him to report for fitness testing following a brief injury recovery period, but he never arrived. “It came completely out of the blue,” said one insider. “He’d been communicating fine with the physios just a few days earlier. Then suddenly, radio silence. No message, no call, nothing. Everyone’s baffled.”

When asked about the situation in a tense post-match press conference following Cardiff’s 1–1 draw with Swansea, Bulut didn’t hold back. “I don’t know where he is,” the manager said bluntly. “We were expecting him back, and he didn’t come. It’s not acceptable, and it’s not professional. I’ve spoken with the club about it — we need clear answers.” The coach’s unusually direct tone has added fuel to the fire, with fans now demanding transparency from the club about what’s really going on behind the scenes.

Cardiff City officials have so far refused to comment publicly on the matter, citing “internal discussions.” However, multiple reports suggest that the absence could be linked to an ongoing disciplinary or contractual dispute. “This isn’t just about missing training,” a club source told local reporters. “There’s something deeper happening here — possibly connected to the player’s future at the club. The manager is in the dark, which says a lot. It’s turned into a very awkward situation.”

The player in question — who has been one of Cardiff’s standout performers in recent seasons — has faced off-field scrutiny before, including rumours of unrest over his role in the squad and disagreements regarding recent tactical changes. Insiders claim that his relationship with Bulut has become increasingly strained, especially after a series of substitutions and positional shifts earlier in the campaign left him “disillusioned.”

“This has been bubbling under the surface for weeks,” said one former Cardiff player, now a pundit. “He’s an emotional player, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. When things aren’t going his way, he doesn’t hide it. But missing training like this — that’s a serious line to cross. It puts the whole team in a difficult position.”

There is growing belief that the player’s time at the Cardiff City Stadium may be nearing its end. Several Championship and even lower Premier League clubs are reportedly monitoring the situation closely, with some seeing an opportunity to swoop in if relations between the player and Cardiff continue to deteriorate. “This could turn into a January transfer saga,” said one football agent familiar with the Welsh market. “If the relationship has broken down beyond repair, Cardiff might decide to cash in rather than let it drag on.”

In the meantime, teammates are said to be caught in an uncomfortable position — sympathetic toward the player but aware of the need to maintain professionalism. “The dressing room’s a bit tense,” one insider revealed. “Everyone’s whispering, but no one really knows the full story. The lads just want to focus on football, but this has cast a shadow over everything.”

As speculation mounts, supporters are demanding a response from club leadership. “We’ve been through enough uncertainty,” one Cardiff fan told a local radio station. “We deserve honesty. Whether it’s a personal issue or a disciplinary matter, just tell us the truth. We support our players, but we also support accountability.”

For now, the mystery remains unresolved. The player’s whereabouts are said to be known to only a handful of senior figures at the club, though no official confirmation has been given. Some reports claim he has been given compassionate leave due to personal reasons, while others insist he is effectively refusing to train until his contract situation is sorted.

Whatever the truth, one thing is clear: Cardiff City, already navigating a turbulent season, now faces yet another internal storm. Erol Bulut’s patience is wearing thin, fans are growing restless, and the club’s image — painstakingly rebuilt in recent years — is once again under strain. Whether this situation ends in reconciliation or an explosive departure, it has already left a mark on the Bluebirds’ campaign — and exposed deep fractures that go far beyond a single missing player.

The right-back came on as a second-half substitute against England at Wembley, while Wales went on to lose both fixtures against England (3-0) and Belgium (4-2).

At youth level, Tanatswa Nyakuhwa started in Wales U21s’ 2-0 win over Austria, with Troy Perrett and Dakarai Mafico unused substitutes.

Further down the ranks, Jac Thomas and Mannie Barton featured for Wales U19s, Barton scoring twice across their games with Switzerland and the Netherlands, while Hayden Allmark, Jack Sykes, Noah Williams, and Tiger Tobin all represented the U18s.

Captain Rob Tankiewicz led Wales U17s in a 1-1 draw with Italy, joined by fellow Bluebirds record-breaker Axel Donczew as well as Alex Cross, Jacob Norris and Keano Conaty.