On-loan Marseille midfielder Lucas Silva insists he was not kicked off the team bus by the club's president en route to a Ligue 1 clash against Montpellier.
Silva, who moved to France on a season-long loan from Real Madrid in August, has failed to settle into life in Ligue 1 despite starting a number of games at the beginning of the campaign.
In an effort to find a solution, Marseille and Madrid had reportedly struck a deal to send the Brazilian to Belgian outfit Anderlecht, which he refused.
Silva's reluctance then led to reports that Marseille president Vincent Labrune allowed the 22-year-old to board the team bus ahead of the two-hour trip to Montpellier on February 2, before kicking him off halfway in front of stunned team-mates.
However, Silva took to social media to refute those claims, revealing he was asked to stay in Marseille as negotiations over his future continued.
"On the last day of the transfer window, I was on the bus with the team in order to travel for a match, while negotiations were taking place with European clubs," he explained.
"I was then told by OM to stay in Marseille because I could travel at any moment as a result of these negotiations.
"Having said that, I have never been asked to leave the bus as some media vehicles suggested."
Silva also insisted he is committed to Marseille, despite interest from his homeland, and believes he is in the best condition of his career.
"The decision to stay in OM was based on my personal belief that commitments must be honoured," he continued.
"Besides that, I am an athlete who always grew in front of major challenges, overcoming them many times during my career.
"The decision to join OM was driven by the great interest showed by the President and the Coach.
"Since my arrival, I have demonstrated total commitment to the club. As an example, I took the initiative to work with one of the best physical coaches in Brazil, and I am physically better than ever before in my career."
He added: "I also take this opportunity to reinforce that I will stay at OM until the end of my contract and will continue to fully dedicate myself to the club. Moreover, I would like to thank the coach and my team mates who have always supported me.
"Finally, I am also very grateful to OM's fans for the way they received me in Marseille. Be assured that my dedication to the club is total and that I'll make all the efforts to help the team succeed this season."
