Skinfold levels behind Melbourne City’s decision not to select marquee player Bruno Fornaroli

Marquee player Bruno Fornaroli will be left off the teamsheet for a second straight week, with serious questions hanging over his Melbourne City future.

Bruno Fornaroli will not be selected for Melbourne City this week. Picture: AAP Images

Marquee player Bruno Fornaroli will be left off the teamsheet for a second straight week, with a dark cloud hanging over his Melbourne City future.

City coach Warren Joyce refused to confirm the reasons, but the Herald-Sun understands that skinfold levels are behind Fornaroli’s stunning axing.

Virtually a year on from Tim Cahill’s controversial City exit, Fornaroli could follow a similar fate unless his seemingly fractured relationship with Joyce can be repaired.

WHIZ KID: YOUNGSTER CHANNEL’S ARZANI’S RAPID RISE

STUDS UP: TOP 30 OUT-OF-CONTRACT A-LEAGUE STARS

Joyce was just as evasive with questions surrounding the club record goalscorers’ future, giving Fornaroli no assurances regarding his future while confirming City would line up against Newcastle Jets at AAMI Park on Sunday without the Uruguayan.

“He’s not in the squad (against Newcastle). Bruno is no different to any other player at the football club. The demands are no different this week from any other week,’’ Joyce said.

Bruno Fornaroli will not be selected for Melbourne City this week. Picture: AAP Images

“Any conversations that you have with players remain private. We talked about standards in the football club, commitment to one another and try and drive towards achieving our goals. I would never talk about personal conversations with any player at this club.

“Bruno this season — the demands are exactly the same as they were last season, we put demands on him over the summer to come back and be prepared.

“Players every single day have a chance to prove their standard, level of commitment, performance, effort. You just assess all those factors.

“If the training standard is high every day, there’s a good chance it’ll be high on Saturday. If it’s poor in training, there’s a good chance it’ll be poor — you can’t push a magic button.”

Fornaroli’s plight is underlined by Joyce’s preference to play without a recognised striker instead.

City took the unusual step of putting Joyce up on Thursday, three days out from the game as opposed to the usual day before press conference.

“Every player is treated the exact same way. You assess it everyday,’’ he said.

Warren Joyce was evasive when it came to questions about Bruno Fornaroli. Picture: Getty Images

“It’s evident that any successful sporting teams — the same characteristics, the same commitment of the players to be the best it can be.

“You can’t be serial winners without that commitment, honesty and desire every single day. You can’t be consistent without them qualities.

“The cost to the playing group is for making a commitment to one another to drive one another, not settle for second best, achieve the goals and standards to what we want.”