Arsenal's Europa League showdown with Benfica could be played as a one-off tie at a neutral venue, which would see a hectic schedule for Mikel Arteta's side slightly alleviated.
The Gunners are due to tackle their Portuguese opponents in a Round of 32 double-header later this month but government restrictions due to coronavirus are causing issues.
Under the current guidelines, Arsenal's players and staff would have to quarantine for 10 days following the first-leg tie on February 18th as Portugal is on the UK's 'red list'.
That, quite simply, is not possible as Arteta's side are due to face Manchester City and Leicester City during that 10-day window, as well as the second-leg of their tie against Benfica.
One solution would be to play the match as a single-legged affair at a neutral venue - which is allowed to be implemented under UEFA's rules for the competition.
Under rule K.1.8 of the Europa League rulebook, it states "the Uefa administration … has the right to assign an alternative venue for any particular match or even to decide that either or both legs of the relevant round to be rescheduled and/or played in a neutral country (within the territory of a Uefa member association) and/or organised as a single leg".
Arsenal are currently working with the UK government and UEFA to find a solution, with another option being both matches played at a neutral venue.
Benfica, as the home side, have the responsibility to find a neutral venue for their leg of the fixture but UEFA may step in to assist.
Portugal are the only European nation currently on the UK's red list, which includes over 30 nations, due to their high rate of infection, but there are still ongoing calls for the UK's borders to be closed entirely.
