Manchester City will increase their efforts to extend Frank Lampard's loan from New York City FC after Yaya Touré confirmed his participation with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations in January, reports The Guardian. The tournament, now to be staged in Equatorial Guinea, starts on 17 January and if Ivory Coast were to reach the final this would mean Touré's involvement until 8 February.
As the midfielder would be required to join up with the squad before the event, boss Manuel Pellegrini faces being without the 31-year-old for more than a month.
There is also the possibility that New York City will have a training camp in January at the champions' new Academy, with the US club also exploring playing friendlies in the north-west then. If so this would allow Lampard to remain at City while becoming integrated with his new club.
The MLS season does not start until mid-March.
