Mensah rejects Lyon truancy and AWOL report

Published on: 25 July 2010

Ghana deputy captain John Mensah has rejected reports by French club Olympique Lyon that the defender is missing from pre-season training without permission.

The French giants have even sent the respectable player to the second team of the club over the AWOL allegation.

Coach Claude Puel made the accusation against the soft-spoken stalwart defender claiming he was given no permission to stay away from his team-mates.

But friends very close to Mensah, who has been heavily linked with some top clubs in Europe after spending last season on loan at English side Sunderland, insist no one at the club has told him about pre-season plans.

“The news came as a shock for John because he is not the type of player who will absent himself from club duties,” the close friend told Ghanasoccernet.com

“The fact is that Lyon did not tell him of the club’s programme for pre-season training and as he has been away for one season it was up to the club to communicate pre-season plans to him.

“Also he needs to sort out his papers to return to Lyon as he spent last season at Sunderland and all these factors conspired to make this happen.

“He is in contact with his agent to find a decent solution in to what is a communication gap between clubs officials and John. He will solve the issue.”

Despite being very impressive for Lyon, Puel sent the 27-year-old spent last season on loan at English side Sunderland, signaling that the coach doesn’t like the Ghanaian very much.

Mensah has reiterated his desire to remain at the Stadium of Light after being named favourite player of the fans of Sunderland at the end of the season.

Mensah diffused talks about his fitness level and put up an impressive display at the World Cup where he captained and helped Ghana to reach the quarter-final for the first time in the country’s history.

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