Claude Puel has pleaded with Riyad Mahrez to come back to Leicester but failed to say when that might be.
The Leicester manager confirmed Sportsmail's story that Mahrez will miss Saturday's match at Manchester City but declined to bring clarity on a number of details.
Puel refused to say if he had spoken to Mahrez since his absence began on January 30, whether he knows where the 26-year-old is, or if he could put a date on a return.
'I hope he can come back and work hard with the team sooner rather than later, of course, we will see,' was all Puel said on the matter.