Manchester City star, Riyad Mahrez has pulled-out of the Algeria squad ahead of their African Cup of Nations clash with Botswana on Monday.
The 28-year-old started and assisted in Thursday's 5-0 thrashing of Zambia, but the Algeria captain has not travelled for the next game.
Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi revealed that Mahrez's omission was down to a ‘personal problem that requires us to let him go.'
Mahrez, who captained his country to Africa Cup of Nations success this summer, had featured in every game for Pep Guardiola's side until the ninth game of the Premier League season.
However, since then he has been left on the bench for four top-flight matches in a row.
In all competitions, he has three goals and eight assists in 14 matches so far.
The former Leicester winger is a double Premier League winner and will be essential in Guardiola's push to peg league leaders Liverpool back.
Earlier this November, Mahrez was left furious after boxer Deontay Wilder – WBC world heavyweight champion – was spotted flirting with his wife, Rita in a nightclub.
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The Manchester City winger was said to be ‘devastated', but there are no clear links between that episode and his pulling out of the Algeria squad.
This article was most recently revised and updated 5 years ago
