Source: Daily_Mail
Manchester City rocked by early demand for Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure
Manchester City have been rocked by news that Togo want Emmanuel Adebayor to join them on Christmas Day, ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.[LNB]Manager Mark Hughes' worst fears were confirmed last night when it emerged he will also lose skipper Kolo Toure before the end of the month to Ivory Coast.[LNB] Worst fears confirmed: Emmanuel Adebayor set to miss crucial festive fixtures[LNB]The Manchester City boss, whose team face a season-defining spell in January, had hoped that the two countries would not fully enforce FIFA rules that allow them to call up players two weeks before the start of the tournament, which begins in Angola on January 10.[LNB]But last night it emerged that Adebayor is required to be at a training camp in Congo on December 27 and Toure's Ivory Coast have confirmed a friendly in Tunisia on December 28.[LNB]In fact, the Togo squad is convening on Christmas Day before heading to their training camp two days later.[LNB] Hughes is trying to reach an agreement with the Togo authorities to allow his striker to play Stoke at home on Boxing Day.[LNB]Fulham have also run into problems over John Pantsil, with Ghana warning manager Roy Hodgson he cannot prevent the right back from joining at the beginning of their training camp.[LNB]Hodgson said yesterday he would not allow Pantsil to leave to be at the camp on December 27 as Fulham play Chelsea the following day.[LNB]Both Togo and Ivory Coast have stressed that they require their 'full complement' of players to be present for the start of the preparations for a tournament that is taken extremely seriously in Africa, despite the fact that it takes place just six months before the World Cup.[LNB]Last night, Hughes said: 'I have had a brief discussion with Kolo and Ade. There is an opportunity to have discussions and we will see how they go but they've not taken place yet.'[LNB]The latest developments suggest that Adebayor will definitely miss City's visit to Wolves on December 28 and maybe the Stoke game.[LNB]Central defender Toure, meanwhile, will also miss the Wolves game now that the Ivory Coast's friendly is going ahead, although it looks at this stage as if he should be available on Boxing Day.[LNB]The development will, of course, also affect Chelsea and their striker Didier Drogba.[LNB] Originally, Hughes had figured on losing his two players from the first week of January and had hoped that, given that Togo and the Ivory Coast do not play their opening games until January 11, they would be able to figure in the third round of the FA Cup on January 3. [LNB]Now, however the key duo could miss as many as nine or 10 games, depending on what happens on Boxing Day and on how far Togo and the Ivory Coast progress in the tournament.[LNB]The group stages finish on January 21 - two days after the second leg of City's Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester United - while the next stage finishes on January 25. If either team progress to the last four, then the players will definitely be required to stay in Angola until January 30 or 31.[LNB]Meanwhile, Hughes has confirmed that midfielder Michael Johnson will miss the rest of the season after damaging knee ligaments.[LNB]Hughes, whose team face Bolton at the Reebok Stadium today, said: 'It was something of nothing and Michael has just hyper-extended his knee and popped his ligament.[LNB]'These things happen, you can't legislate for that. But he will get through it and he understands that there is long work ahead. But he will be focused and I sense he is ready to do that.'[LNB] VIDEO: Hughes keen to continue City's winning run against BoltonArsenal and Manchester City must shell out £43.5m for Diego Perotti after Sevilla slap giant price on winger [LNB] [LNB]
