WHEN WILL WE SEE YOU AGAIN?
Puel admits he doesn’t know when AWOL Mahrez will return
RIYAD MAHREZ will be missing again today when Leicester host Swansea in the Premier League.
The 2016 PFA Player of the Year went AWOL on Tuesday after Leicester refused to sell him to Manchester City.
The Foxes insist they would have let Mahrez, 26, go if the league leaders had coughed up £80million cash.
But the King Power Stadium owners dug their heels in as City refused to meet their terms which has left Mahrez claiming to be “depressed”.
Foxes boss Claude Puel admits it is a “difficult situation” and could not confirm when Mahrez would be returning to the club, with Leicester travelling to the Etihad next Saturday.
Puel was even unable to say if he had spoken with Mahrez after four days absent as medics, HR and lawyers are now set to get involved over the star’s state of mind. He confirmed: “Riyad will not be available for this game.
“We will assess him when he has cleared his head.
“It is a tough situation for us to manage. I understand the disappointment when it was a good opportunity for him.
“I think Riyad after some time will come back with us. It is a situation between the club, myself and the player to manage calmly. The first priority is for him to find the good feeling again and enjoy his football.”
Mahrez first failed to report for training on Tuesday with no explanation which stunned teammates and officials.
It plunged Leicester’s preparations for their 2-1 loss at Everton on Wednesday into chaos as Mahrez was in Puel’s line-up and the training ground was said to be “madness”.
But Puel insists he and City’s stars are willing to welcome Mahrez back into the fold in due course.
The Frenchman added: “Riyad is a good player but he is good man as well and I respect him.
“We will meet with his side and the club and keep it between ourselves.
“His team-mates wait for Riyad to come back in the squad because he is a valuable player for us, a decisive, clinical player and is always their friend. I hope he can come back happy and find a smile with his team-mates.” Mahrez, who has eight Premier League goals and seven assists, could face a club fine of two weeks’ wages worth £200,000 if found guilty of going AWOL.
Leicester insist their £80m valuation of the player, who has two-anda-half years left on his contract, was fair after Liverpool paid £75m for Virgil van Dijk and Barcelona £145m for Philippe Coutinho.