Julien Faubert has gone AWOL from West Ham United.
The Sun says the French full-back plunged the Premier League's bottom club into a fresh crisis by refusing to sit on the bench for yesterday's defeat by Birmingham.
Faubert, 27, was called into the strugglers' 18-man squad at the last minute by boss Avram Grant because of a calf injury to defender James Tomkins in the pre-match warm up.
But the maverick had already gone AWOL and told stunned team officials he would not return to Upton Park when they finally managed to reach him - 10 minutes AFTER kick-off.
A Hammers insider said: "It's unbelievable. The whole club is shocked by it.
"Julien turned up as normal before kick-off only to be told he was not in the squad.
"But without telling anyone he must have just gone home.
"When someone finally got hold of him on the phone, he refused to come back."
