Keegan faces Anelka storm

Last night sources close to the player confirmed that there had been a row with Keegan but that 'he was happy to stay' with City. Keegan was also insisting that there was no problem but it remains to be seen how Anelka, 24, will react if the rift deepens.

The striker left Arsenal in 1999 amid acrimonious circumstances when he moved to Real Madrid and Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier turned down the opportunity to sign him after a loan spell at Anfield.

Keegan said: 'There has been no bust-up. There is no problem with Nicolas. He came off with a slight strain against QPR. He wanted to play at Southampton and thought he was fit to do so, but it is my job as manager to make those decisions and with the squad I have got why take the risk when there are so many games to go?

'He's not very happy but neither was Steve McManaman when I decided not to play him against Chelsea last week.'

Fowler's excursion to Colchester's Route nightclub on Wednesday came with teammates reported to be McManaman, Danny Tiatto, Claudio Reyna, Trevor Sinclair and Jon Macken as City spent three days in Essex between last Tuesday's Carling Cup-tie at QPR and Saturday's game.

Given that it was outside the traditional 48-hour pre-match curfew, the night out almost certainly took place with Keegan's blessing. But the manager will have been appalled to see photographs in a Sunday newspaper of his £6million centre forward smoking a huge handrolled cigarette and clutching two bottles of beer.

Keegan will speak to Fowler, 28, today and is likely to fine him. Ironically, Fowler scored his first League goal of the season on Saturday. Paulo Wanchope was the other City scorer.

No-one was available to comment on either issue at City yesterday.