Rayan Aït-Nouri leaves Algeria camp after refusing to come on amid Manchester City struggles

Rayan Aït-Nouri has left the Algeria national team camp following a dispute with the coaching staff, adding another difficult chapter to what has already been a frustrating season for the Manchester City defender.

The 25-year-old has struggled for opportunities since Enzo Maresca replaced Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

Aït-Nouri has yet to make a Premier League appearance under the Italian this season, managing just 15 minutes against Porto in the Champions League and a full 90 minutes against Norwich City in the EFL Cup.

The international break therefore represented an opportunity to finally get meaningful minutes. Instead, it ended with him leaving the Algeria squad.

New Algeria manager Brahim Hemdani included Aït-Nouri in his squad but selected Brighton defender Jaouen Hadjam ahead of him for Friday's 3-1 victory over Zambia.

According to WinWin, Hemdani initially planned to introduce the Manchester City defender during the second half.

Those plans changed when Zambia equalised in the 57th minute, with Aït-Nouri sent back to the bench.

After Algeria regained the lead, Hemdani again called upon the City defender. This time, however, Aït-Nouri reportedly refused to enter the game.

The incident caused anger inside the Algeria camp and ultimately led to the defender's departure.

Aït-Nouri reportedly arrived on international duty already frustrated by his lack of football at Manchester City.

He had hoped Algeria would provide the minutes he has been unable to secure under Maresca and potentially give him a much-needed confidence boost.

Being left out of the starting XI against Zambia therefore came as another disappointment, although he initially kept his frustration to himself.

The situation escalated when Algeria team director Moussa Saïb attempted to intervene and calm matters.

Rather than resolving the dispute, that conversation reportedly brought Aït-Nouri's unhappiness further into the open.

Hemdani reportedly expected Aït-Nouri to apologise to his teammates and coaching staff following the incident.

Instead, the defender requested permission to leave the camp.

Aït-Nouri is said to have felt he had not received sufficient appreciation, respect or support from the national-team setup.

Algeria attempted to defuse the situation but eventually accepted his request to leave after he remained determined to depart.

The matter was subsequently presented as a disciplinary decision.

It now leaves uncertainty surrounding Aït-Nouri's international future, with the possibility that he may be reluctant to return while the current coaching structure remains in place.

Aït-Nouri will now return to Manchester City with his situation at both club and international level requiring attention.

His immediate challenge is breaking into Maresca's Premier League plans.

Having joined City from Wolves in June 2025, the defender would have expected to establish himself at the Etihad. Instead, his opportunities have become increasingly limited following Guardiola's departure.

The international break could have provided an escape from those frustrations, but events with Algeria have only added another complication.

There is also the question of whether relations with Hemdani and his staff can be repaired. An apology or clear-the-air conversation could potentially resolve matters, but Aït-Nouri's reported insistence on leaving suggests the disagreement went beyond simply being disappointed at starting on the bench.

For Manchester City, the priority will be getting the 25-year-old focused again and competing for first-team football when the domestic season resumes.