The punishment will presumably continue for as long as Delgado stays away. This could be some time as Delgado has said: "If I recover I will go there with them but my desire is to recover here." The use of the word "if" is a little worrying.
He has finally contacted the club but they seems to be about as convinced as the rest of us. Brian Truscott said: "We have had a two-page letter from him giving his reasons for failing to report back along with an update on his knee which is being considered."
As far as I'm concerned Delgado's reluctance to return to Southampton, due to his inability to settle, has resulted in his taking a pre season jolly at the expense of the club. What chances there were of offloading him to another club must have all but vanished in light of his antics.
There is no chance of Delgado featuring in the Saints side until he proves himself to Gordon Strachan and there's little chance of that happening while he remains in Ecuador.
Delgao has apparently reiterated his commitment to the club, but his actions far from prove this. While I really hope he returns to have a positive impact on Saints season, it looks rather doubtful.
FIFA have been informed with a club spokesperson saying: "FIFA have been kept fully informed of what has happened and have said they will start their own enquiry if there's no satisfactory explanation to the matter."