Tunmise Sobowale was left out of the Swindon Town squad for their 3-2 Morecambe defeat due to his performances in training.

The Irish defender was left out of a matchday squad for the first time in any competition this season on Saturday following the return of Grant Hall after suspension.

Ian Holloway was asked after the match why he decided to leave Sobowale out of the 18 and he said that after his performances in training this week, he chose to go with another attacking option.

He said: “He was available for selection and I chose [Joel] McGregor over him and then if we were behind I wanted to have a more attacking-minded fella because he is one of my defenders.

“I have got every right to choose whoever I want and the fans can judge me at the end of my time here whether I have gotten it right or wrong.

“At the end of the day, it is my conversations with my players and I am watching them train and seeing their interpretations of what I want them to do.

“For me, he didn’t do well enough this week, it wasn’t what I wanted and I have told him that, he understands and will work on it.

“Other people did better than him this week; I see that, you [Andrew Hawes, BBC Radio Wiltshire] don’t see it, and the fans don’t see it.”

In the absence of Sobowale, Jaxon Brown was initially brought on at right-back before switching to his more familiar position in central midfield.

Brown returned from his loan at Canvey Island this week with Holloway very excited about him and he explained why he chose to play him there.

He said: “I wanted to pin them back and so I put on another attack-minded player in the right-back spot because, at the end of the game, he should be raging forward like he has been doing.

“I am not sure that he knew how to do that, I was told that he could do that, so I moved him into midfield where he can play and I put [Joel] Cotterill out there and he did that for us.

“The fitness levels are not where I want them to be yet, Rosaire [Longelo] is not even being considered yet because he has been out so much.

“Ryan Delaney has been out for God knows how long, so he was running on empty at the end and Grant [Hall] has just come back.”