Yaya Toure to miss Ivory Coast international comeback for family reasons

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has pulled out of two friendly internationals over the next week for “family reasons,” the Manchester City player said on Thursday, putting his long-awaited Ivory Coast comeback on hold.

“Sorry I cannot make the Ivory Coast games this international break. My family needs me at this moment and I hope the fans understand. I wish the team good luck!” he said in a tweet.

Sorry I cannot make the Ivory Coast games this international break. My family needs me at this moment and I hope the fans understand. I wish the team good luck!

Sorry I cannot make the Ivory Coast games this international break. My family needs me at this moment and I hope the fans understand. I wish the team good luck!

— Yaya Touré (@YayaToure) March 22, 2018

Toure, who turns 35 in May, was named last week in a 24-man squad for matches in France against Togo and Moldova, having resigned international soccer since leading the Ivorians to the African Nations Cup title in early 2015.

The midfielder made a surprise announcement in December of a return despite the Ivorians having failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia and had been expected to feature in the match against Togo this weekend.

The Ivorian Football Federation added that Olympique Lyonnais striker Maxwell Cornet, Jean Philippe Gbamin from Bundesliga club Mainz and Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace had all pulled out because of injury.