Puel’s plea to Mahrez
COME BACK
CLAUDE PUEL says absent star Riyad Mahrez will be back in a Leicester shirt – but he’s not sure when.
The 26-year-old went AWOL over a week ago as his projected move to Manchester City collapsed.
He will miss his third game tomorrow when Leicester travel to play City at the Etihad.
The French coach tried his best to deflect questions, claiming it was a difficult situation that was being handled by the club.
But he admitted he expected to see Mahrez back and would like it to be as soon as possible.
Puel said: “I think he will come back with a good attitude and good work. Of course, when he comes back, he needs time to work and get good match fitness.
Speculation
“He loves his football. He isn’t just playing for work, he enjoys his football and stays after training to work on his touch.
“He loves his relationship with his team-mates. He needs to come back and I hope he can come back sooner rather than later. But we will see.
“I can understand all this speculation, but I cannot comment on this. It is not right. I cannot give details on the speculation.”
Asked if he felt his £100,000-a-week star had let the Foxes down, Puel added: “It is not my preoccupation. That is a question for Leicester, not me.
“I can understand the different opinions about Riyad, but I have to keep focused and stay united around the team and the players.”
Asked if he had a message for the Algerian winger, Puel said: “We need to have a meeting and a good relationship and the best thing is the details must remain in the club.”
Puel confirmed that Mahrez will play no part in the City game, adding: “The most import thing is to talk about my team and squad, the available players, and he is not available at the moment.”