 South Africa's Benni McCarthy has been dropped by FC Porto |
South African striker Benni McCarthy has been sent down to FC Porto's reserve side, putting his participation in next week's UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United in jeopardy. Furious coach Jose Mourinho has ordered the striker to train with the B team after the latest in a growing list of cases of indiscipline.
The club are furious after McCarthy was spotted partying in Vigo, just across the Spanish border, last Friday celebrating his girlfriend's birthday.
The party was just two days before the crucial league match against Benfica, one of the classic fixtures of the Portuguese season.
McCarthy played in the 1-1 draw at the Estadio da Luz on Sunday but was taken off in the second-half, marking the third successive match without a goal after a run of free scoring form.
Up to last month, the former Celta Vigo and Ajax Amsterdam forward had scored 13 goals for the club.
But he has already twice been suspended, once for a needless red card and once after an altercation with an opponent in another glamour game at the start of the season against Sporting Lisbon.
Porto announced that McCarthy's place for the weekend's league match against Vitoria Guimaraes is in jeopardy.
He could also miss the match against the English champions, where he has been looking forward to going up against fellow Capetonian Quinton Fortune.
Porto play against Manchester United in the first leg of their fourth round tie next Wednesday with the return leg at Old Trafford on 9 March.
MMIX
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