PREMIER LEAGUE clubs may have to strike deals with ‘red list’ countries next month – as the Government is considering only a partial lifting of quarantine rules.
Fifa persuaded Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Mexico to withdraw their complaints over the refusal of clubs to release players for World Cup qualifiers late on Friday.
That prevented the clubs from having to ignore the world governing body’s automatic bans for the likes of Alisson, Ederson and Thiago Silva.
In a statement confirming the U-turn, Fifa spoke of the ‘positive signals and constructive dialogue’ in talks with the Government to avoid a repeat next month and in November.
But at this stage, it is understood that Public Health England remains unlikely to recommend a full quarantine exemption for players returning from red list nations.
Those currently include all of South America and large areas of Asia and Africa.
Instead, the favoured option will see the mandatory quarantine period reduced from the current ten days to five.
That is as long as the players are in Covid bubbles during their periods away.
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But with the South American nations scheduled to again play three qualifying games between October 7 and 14, it would again rule out any players staying for the third match from playing in the following weekend Prem games.
Blackburn have agreed with Chile that striker Ben Brereton will return after his side’s October 10 home clash with Paraguay.
His quarantine period would therefore end on October 16 at the earliest, just 24 hours before Rovers’ home game with Coventry.
The striker, who did not link up with Chile earlier this month, could have missed up to four Championship matches without the compromise.
Similar issues would face the players who did not travel this month and the Argentine and Colombian stars who did answer their nations’ calls.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
