Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Riyad Mahrez missed the team's clash with Liverpool in the Community Shield on Sunday because the club were concerned he might fail a doping test.
Mahrez starred for Algeria in the summer at the Africa Cup of Nations, helping his team win the title in Egypt with a string of brilliant performances.
According to Guardiola, despite the final only being played on July 19, Mahrez was keen to be part of the squad for the Community Shield match. However, City were concerned about the contents of a medicine he took during his time on international duty and decided to leave him out, per Joe Wright of Goal:
"Riyad called me right after being champions with Algeria and told me he wanted to come back in 10 days and play against Liverpool.