The Glasgow Rangers defender is simply not up to it anymore.
When Rangers signed Bruno Alves last summer, it was hoped the Portugal international could step in for the departed Clint Hill and add the kind of experience and quality the Gers needed to mount a sustained title tilt.
However, halfway through the season it is clear the 36-year-old needs Rangers far more than they need him.
With a World Cup fast approaching, Alves needs to maintain his match fitness to ensure he adds to the 94 caps he has already racked up for Portugal.
The problem is, simply turning out week after week is not enough for a Rangers side looking to push on, and they should be focusing on players who are willing to do the hard graft and not just look ahead to a bigger stage at the end of the current campaign.
Alves is not good enough for the Scottish Premiership at this stage of his career, with some of his performances simply embarrassing for a player of his (former) quality.
Former Gers boss Pedro Caixinha got it right with some of his summer signings, perhaps more than his critics would have us believe, but Alves is a dud and Rangers should be focusing on players who are going to be at the club for the long haul.
David Bates, Danny Wilson and Ross McCrorie have all performed well this season and they should not be missing out on valuable minutes simply because Alves is a big-name on the verge of one last tournament.
Whether Rangers ditch him completely or simply keep him on the bench more often than not, Alves is not the player they need and never was.
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