Adrien Rabiot simply lost his place at Paris Saint-Germain but "nothing broke" between the midfielder and Thomas Tuchel, according to the coach.
Rabiot, 23, is seemingly headed for a PSG exit, having reportedly turned down an extension to his contract, which runs until the end of the season.
Speaking ahead of his side's Ligue 1 clash against Nantes on Saturday, Tuchel said performances were behind Rabiot losing his spot.
"Nothing broke between us but there is a lot of competition between the players here," he said.
"In my opinion, Adrien lost some confidence and his place because also Julian Draxler took his chance. The team played well, we won.
"It is difficult and that's why every game is important. Every player needs to perform at every game, every training session.
"They need to show that they are ready to win."
