No fall-out with Huddersfield Town captain Jonathan Hogg, as Mark Fotheringham slams rumours as 'absolutely ludicrous'

Town, who slumped to the bottom of the Championship after Coventry's victory on Wednesday night, have had a difficult week and head into Saturday's six-pointer at fellow strugglers Middlesbrough on the back of successive defeats against Rotherham United and Preston.

Town, who have won just once in five matches under the Scot thus far, have not won away from home since April 30 and are badly missing the services of Hogg, out with a calf injury, and Matty Pearson in particular.

On the Hogg rumours, Fotheringham said: "It is absolutely ludicrous. The day after the game, we were actually off and me and Hoggy had a coffee together in the office and we were chatting when he was coming back in and everything like that.

"What I would say is that Hogg, our captain, is a guy I looked at from the outset as a coach in Germany looking on on English football.

"I really identified him as a person, not only as a player because he plays with so much passion and energy and is a real leader and exactly what we need in this period.

"But people have got to understand, I have only had Hoggy for one training session, so it is going to be important for me to get these players back.

"What I am doing at the moment is showing focus on the group and that I have got to give them a good feeling going into games that they are capable of winning games and they are more than capable.

"We need to roll our sleeves and everyone has got to galvanise and push even closer together. That is why I find it ludicrous and abslutely amazing that people would make up stories about me.

"I am only three weeks in the door and not a guy to be raving and ranting at players. That's not my style. I am a positive guy and here to support.

"Even when there's adversity in games, I have got big shoulders and I am going to stand on the sidelines and they are always going to have me supporting them. That's me as a person."