Sunderland manager Chris Coleman has admitted that he does not know where midfielder Jack Rodwell is.
Rodwell has made just three appearances for Sunderland's first team so far this season, the most recent of which came in September, and is understood to have turned down a loan move to another Championship club in January.
Coleman confirmed that the £70,000-a-week midfielder does not want to play for the relegated Black Cats anymore, and ruled out any prospect of including him in his squad to face Fulham on Friday night.
"I don't even know where Jack is [physically or mentally] to be honest. He won't be involved [this weekend] and I'm sure if there was a sniff of a first team appearance, I'm not sure he would be 100% fit for it," Coleman told reporters.
"I'm quite sure we've gone down the legal route of that situation, and we're stuck with a player that doesn't want to play for Sunderland Football Club and wants to leave.
"But then where's he going to leave and go to? There's the conundrum. He's here and he's got one more year on his contract. He doesn't want to play for us, so fine, go and play for somebody else. But the stumbling block is the contract.
"But we'll see, it's the end of this season now. I know Jack did that big article [and said] he wanted to play for England again, so to do that, he's going to have to go and play football somewhere. The proof is always in the pudding."
Rodwell - who has been banished to the Under-23 squad by Coleman - is set to take a 40% pay cut due to Sunderland's relegation, but would still be the highest-paid player in League One history if he stays at the club again this summer.
Barney Corkhill
