Manchester City are ready to defy FIFA by playing banned Brazil duo Ederson and Gabriel Jesus against Leicester today.
FIFA told eight Premier League clubs – including City – they must respect the five-day restriction rule on the availability of players, after not releasing them for World Cup qualifiers.
But Ederson and Jesus travelled to Leicester last night with the rest of the City squad for today's Premier League clash, with boss Pep Guardiola intending on playing them both.
After talks between FIFA and the Premier League failed to resolve the issue, the clubs have decided to take matters into their own hands and play their suspended stars.
“Right now, I’m thinking they’ll play,” said Guardiola.
“This afternoon they're going to travel and be ready to play tomorrow. Maybe tonight or tomorrow we'll have a letter from FIFA or the Premier League.
“I’d prefer to know, but the most important thing is that the clubs cannot do anything. We never said don’t go to play for the national teams. If they travel, they cannot play.
“And if they stay here, they're banned. So what do you do? If they go, it’s 10 days' isolation in a hotel. If they don’t go, it’s five days they can't play. It's crazy.
“We’ve always allowed Eddie and Gabriel to go. If Argentina’s players cannot play there, then the Brazil players cannot either, because they all came from England.
“You have to stay in a hotel airport for 10 days. Stay there, closed in the room. It’s for the NHS and I completely agree with that.
“But when they don’t travel, it makes no sense, they then have a five-day ban from here. They want to go but we didn’t let them. We’re waiting for FIFA to make a statement.
“From my experience, the Premier League had meetings, said we’ll do this and that and then everyone does what is best for themselves.
“We’ll wait and see what the Premier League and FIFA say, and then we’ll decide.
“We hope FIFA will make a statement and hopefully they’ll allow them to play.”
Kevin De Bruyne could return for City today, although Phil Foden will not be ready to face Leicester.
“Yesterday, Phil had his first training session,” said Guardiola.
“Kevin trained well last week, part alone, part with the other players who were here plus the Under-18s. They feel much better.
