Patrick Creaven over at Intelligent Soccer has an interesting theory on why Jozy Altidore was unable to play for Hull this past weekend; perhaps it wasn't work permit issues, but swine flu.

It's not unreasonable to think that Jozy might have picked up the virus from Landon Donovan, who we found out was ill during the Mexico game, and the words of Hull manager Phil Brown certainly seem to back up Creaven's suggestion.

The math doesn't work out. If Jozy was granted a work permit on August 10th, why did he remain in the US after the Mexico match, tweeting that he was still working out permit issues?

Creaven's seem much more concerned about the "lying" done by both Hull and Altidore if his absence was in fact due to swine flu and not permit issues. I'm not so worried about that; if Altidore preferred not to tell his Twitter followers that he had tested positive for swine flu (the only possible reason I can come up with that he wouldn't be allowed to travel; both Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard returned to England for their clubs' weekend matches), that's his business. No matter the reason, the bottom line is that he couldn't play.

What do you make of this? Creaven makes a good case based on the information available; does Altidore "lying" about his inability to play for Hull against Chelsea bother you?