City’s Toure suspended after positive test
The club confirmed in a short statement on their website last night that Toure had been informed by the Football Association that an A-sample provided by him returned positive.
“He has been suspended from participating in all first team and non-first team matches pending the outcome of the legal process,” the City statement read. “There will be no further comment from the football club at this stage.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency define a specified substance as one that is “more susceptible to a credible, non-doping explanation’’.
The WADA punishment for such a positive test ranges from a warning to a two-year ban.
Hamilton midfielder Simon Mensing recently served a four-week ban after he tested positive for a specified substance.
The 28-year-old Mensing tested positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine at the end of January and subsequently missed five matches after a period of ineligibility was imposed on him.
The player maintained he was unaware he had ingested the substance while using a dietary supplement — an explanation which was accepted by UK Anti-Doping.
It is understood that Toure was not included in City’s squad for Wednesday night’s FA Cup match against Aston Villa because the club were aware of the situation.
The failed test automatically triggered the suspension, with City left with no option but to exclude him from their plans until the conclusion of proceedings.
The 29-year-old centre-back joined City in 2009, ending a seven-year association with Arsenal. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had signed him from Ivorian side Mimosas and he went on to captain the club on a number of occasions before heading to Eastlands, where he served as club captain under Mark Hughes until he was succeeded by Carlos Tevez for this season.
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