Darren Bent is shocked over his treatment by Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert.
On Tuesday, Villa's record £24million signing sat in the stand while Jordan Bowery - a £500,000 buy from Chesterfield - was among the subs.
And one of Bent's closest friends told The Sun: "Darren is mystified at the way he has been treated.
"He thought there would be some explanation as to why he has been left out but he hasn't had one.
"He hasn't demanded to talk to the manager about his situation and he has no intention of handing in a transfer request. He just wants to keep his head down, stay professional and train the right way."