Premier League clubs have decided not to release players during the upcoming international break, should they be set to travel to the United Kingdom’s Covid-19 red-list countries.
The decision was announced by the league on Tuesday evening, with a unanimous vote being taken by top-flight clubs.
With the release of an official statement confirming the news, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “Premier League clubs have always supported their players’ desires to represent their countries – this is a matter of pride for all concerned.
“However, clubs have reluctantly but rightly come to the conclusion that it would be entirely unreasonable to release players under these new circumstances.
"Quarantine requirements mean that players’ welfare and fitness will be significantly impacted. We understand the challenges that exist in the international match calendar and remain open to workable solutions."
Of course, should clubs have allowed their players to join up with their national teams in their home countries, their preparations for the next round of league fixtures would have been hugely affected with a mandatory ten-day quarantine required upon their returns.
Tottenham Hotspur, in particular, would have been hugely impacted, with the likes of Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso (both Argentina) and Davinson Sanchez (Colombia) all set to travel to red-list nations. Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast) would also have been ruled out due to a clash in Mozambique.
Key names Chelsea would also have lost include Thiago Silva (Brazil), whilst Edouard Mendy (Senegal) would have been required to quarantine with Congo on the red list, while among Arsenal names they could have been without include midfielder Lucas Torreira (Uruguay) along with - if selected - Gabriel Martinelli (Brazil).
With the decision taken not to release the players, however, all will now be available for the next round of Premier League fixtures following the upcoming international break.
