MONTREAL -- Lawrence Phillips is missing in action again.

The Montreal Alouettes suspended the CFL's leading rusher Monday after he left the team Sunday morning and skipped practice without explanation.

Phillips' only contact with the club came Monday morning, when he complained of knee pain in a brief phone call to an Alouettes trainer.

General manager Jim Popp suspended Phillips when he missed the team's 5 p.m. ET flight Monday to British Columbia, where they play the Lions on Wednesday.

``I really don't know anything,'' Popp said. ``I haven't spoken to him, no one from our organization has except for our trainer.

``He called our trainer this morning complaining that his knee was bothering him. That's no reason why he hasn't been there for the last couple of days. If it is, he surely hasn't told us.''

Phillips, who has run for 594 yards in eight games, apparently was still in Montreal when he called the trainer, Popp said.

``He's been banged up, I think everyone knows that,'' said Popp. ``Both knees have been bothering him but there's been no indication he wouldn't be coming to work.''

Phillips has now walked away from the team twice.

During the first week of training camp, he left the team after accusing Popp and coach Don Matthews of dishonesty in their dealings with him. He later returned and won the starting job from incumbent Mike Pringle.

While a star tailback at the University of Nebraska, Phillips pleaded no contest to domestic violence in a confrontation with a girlfriend. Still, Phillips was selected in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams.

He played 25 games for St. Louis before being released for insubordination in 1997. His 19 months with the team were marked by three arrests and 23 days in jail for violating his probation after a drunk-driving arrest in California.

Phillips signed with Miami later in the '97 season, but was released after pleading no contest to hitting a woman in a nightclub.

Phillips appeared to be on the way back in 1999 with NFL Europe's Barcelona Dragons. He ran for 1,021 yards and scored 14 touchdowns -- both league records -- and was voted the league's top offensive player.

He then signed with San Francisco, but was released during the '99 season for missing practice.