New Colombia boss Reinaldo Rueda has reluctantly admitted he won't be able to call up Alfredo Morelos for World Cup qualifiers in March.
The Rangers star has been in constant contact with the new manager after he replaced Carlos Quieroz in January.
Colombia open their Qatar 2022 bid against Brazil and Paraguay but Rueda has accepted quarantine rules mean Morelos is extremely unlikely to be available.
FIFA have stated clubs would are under no requirement to release players where there is a mandatory quarantine period of five days or more on return to their club.
Morelos, along with Everton's James Rodriguez and Yerry Mina, Spurs stopper Davinson Sanchez, Bournemouth midfielder Jefferson Lerma and Brighton's Steven Alzate will all have to miss the glamorous showdowns against Brazil and Paraguay.
And 63-year-old Rueda - who is on his second spell in charge of Colombia - admitted he has already made alternative plans.
He said: "I have been having constant communication with all the players in the UK and they are all aware that of course, I want them in this squad for the start of the World Cup qualifiers.
"Sadly, because of the Covid measures taken by Governments, there is very little we can do about getting them over here for the two matches.
"We all know this is happening and, accordingly, we have made plans to call up other players and that's why we held a camp this month with locally-based players."
