BABAYARO GOES AWOL AGAIN

NIGERIAN Olympic captain Celestine Babayaro could be in hot water with his domestic club, Chelsea, once again after reportedly staying in Sydney to watch the Games, despite his country being knocked out of the football competition at the weekend.

The 22-year-old returned to Chelsea late from the African Cup of Nations at the start of this year, incensing the manager at the time Gianluca Vialli and leading to The Blues expressing concerns over him travelling to Australia.

It is unlikely that new manager Claudio Ranieri will take kindly to those fears being realised as they continue to be without the left back, with the player believed to have travelled from Melbourne to Sydney to watch the remaining days of the Olympics.

The late return is unlikely to endear Babayaro to Ranieri, who he has yet to meet, and the return from injury of Graeme Le Saux will intensify the battle for a place, with Jon Harley also able to play at left back.

Nigeria were knocked out of the football tournament on Saturday after they were defeated 4-1 by Chile at the quarter final stage of their defence of the crown they won in Atlanta in 1996.

Meanwhile Leeds striker Mark Viduka, who also returned late from the Games and was not even considered by manager David O'Leary for the Premiership match with Derby County, has returned to the squad and will start the Champions League clash with Besiktas on Tuesday night on the bench.