Sean Dyche has cooled talk of an altercation with Nathan Patterson during Everton's recent warm weather training camp in Portugal.
Mail Sport previously revealed that the Toffees boss had playfully slapped the 22-year-old during a meal in the Algarve resort of Quinta do Lago midway through March.
Dyche's intentions were harmless but the physicality of his slap left some players unimpressed with captain James Tarkowski stepping in after things became heated.
The pair left the table for a while before returning to finish their meals with the rest of the squad.