voldemort

Lyon's New Year training regime has begun in some controversy as it emerges that, as of Thursday, neither Kader Keita nor Fred had returned to the club after their Christmas break.

Even worse, L'Equipe reported that the pair were absent without leave, with neither having informed the club of their absence.

Fred, 24, has been used only sparingly this season due to the rise to prominence of Karim Benzema: with the Brazilian likely to be sold on soon, his absence is not of huge concern to the side.

Indiscipline has allegedly dogged the former Cruzeiro man before: as of yesterday, he was still in Brazil for reasons not fully explained. However, he is expected to arrive in France imminently.

If Fred's absence is not too worrying for Lyon, Keita's is.

Lyon paid a club record 18 million euros to land the midfielder from Lille in summer. While he's not yet quite hit the form that saw him secure the big-money move, he's still considered integral to Alain Perrin's plans, having played 17 of 19 Ligue 1 games so far.

Rumour has it that family problems are responsible for Keita's latecoming. Whether or not the club is consequently lenient with him over his failure to report his lateness remains to be seen.

In any case, Keita's eventual arrival in Lyon will comprise a flying visit, for no sooner will he land in France than he will leave for the UAE to join up with the Cote d'Ivoire African Cup of Nations squad.

source:goal.com