Champions League: Cork City chairman Brian Lennox says the club is doing all it can to  rectify the spat between influential attacking midfielder George O'Callaghan and manager Damien Richardson.

The two parties have fallen out in recent weeks and the player will not feature in tonight's Champions League clash with Apollon Limassol at Turner's Cross.  He was not selected for the weekend win over Longford either.

"All I can say is the whole thing came about as a difference if opinion between George and Damien," Lennox said. "As we speak, we are trying to rectify the situation, so both parties and Cork City FC can get back to doing their day-to-day business."

Lennox confirmed that O'Callaghan - who has 18 months left on his contract - has not, contrary to speculation, been transfer-listed.

O'Callaghan was docked two weeks' wages following his sending off against Bohemians late last month and believes comments Richardson made after the game were overly critical of him.

Last night, in a statement issued through his solicitor, O'Callaghan detailed how he confronted Richardson privately "to express his disappointment and disgust" at being fined.

There is little doubt the player's absence will be keenly felt tonight but Cork captain Dan Murray insists the club must no dwell on the matter and instead focus all its energies on Apollon.

"They won their league quite comfortably so it will be a challenge, but its one that every single Cork player is looking forward to," he says.

"We won the league last year and want to be winning again but with the Champions League we want to make our name familiar to some of the bigger teams on the continent.

"After the couple of years of success we've had in Europe, we want more and are hungry for more.  If we don't succeed we'll be disappointed in ourselves."