Yaya Flies To Abidjan - Pulls Out Of International

The Federation Ivorian de Football has confirmed that Yaya Toure, despite having flown to Abidjan, will not play in tonight's charity game against Guinea through injury...

Even though it's only a fortnight since the Ivory Coast lost the Cup of African Nations final to Zambia (much to the public glee of Wayne Rugney), a full international call went out. Unfortunately, a number of key players will be absent.

Yaya fell awkwardly on his hip in City's demolition of Blackburn Rovers last weekend and was withdrawn as a precaution. Yet he still flew out to Abidjan, only to accept he isn't fit enough to play.

His brother Kolo remains injured from the CAN tournament and the likes of Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Eboue are also on the sick list. Didier Zokora who used to play for Spurs missed his flight from Trabzonspor.

YAYA WINE STING UNSTUNG

In other Toure news, the fraudster who pretended to be Yaya's agent last month in order to successfully secure the delivery to London of a shedload of wine from a Luxembourg wine company for a birthday party that never was, has struck again.

This time however, targeting a Belgian company wanting even more wine for YaYa's alleged party. Yet the plans quickly unravelled.

By sheer chance, the alleged agent (who it transpires had changed name and address from the Luxembourg sting) ended up negotiating the proposed massive London wine delivery on the phone with one of Yaya's former FC Beveren teammates. His suspicions were aroused when it became obvious the agent clearly had no knowledge of YaYa's career in Belgium or his subsequent moves!

CITY VERSUS ARSENAL IN BEIJING

Arsenal will play City on the day of the London Olympics opening ceremony...in the main 2008 Beijing Games stadium.

The exhibition match in the Bird's Nest will kick off on July 27 at 20h00 local time (midday in London) while the London Olympics kick off 8 hours later.


UPCOMING FIXTURES:
all times East Manchester
Sa 03 Mar 15:00 Bolton, The Etihad, PL
Th 08 Mar 18:00 S Lisbon, Estádio José Alvalade, ELR16
Sa 11 Mar 14:00 Swansea, Liberty Stadium, PL
Th 15 Mar 20:05 S Lisbon, The Etihad, ELR16
Mo 19 Mar 20:00 Chelsea, The Etihad, PL
Sa 24 Mar 17:30 Stoke, Britannia Stadium, PL
Sa 31 Mar 15:00 Sunderland, The Etihad, PL

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.