Michael Sterling stood in the locker room. He looked at the empty seats.
Usually the room was full. Usually there was not enough space for all the big personalities. But today the room felt hollow.
The African Cup of Nations had started.
It was a tournament of passion and color but for a club manager it was a headache.
Three of his reliable squad players were gone. The backup winger Amara and the strong midfielder Diop had flown to Ivory Coast. They were chasing glory for their countries.
"It is quiet Boss," Arthur Milton said. Arthur was wearing three scarves. He looked like a woolly mummy.
"It is too quiet Arthur," Michael said. "The squad is thin. We are down to the bare bones."
He looked at the whiteboard. The names were few.
INJURY LIST:
Danny Fletcher (Recovering)
Tom (Ankle)
INTERNATIONAL DUTY:
Amara
Diop
Kouyate
