Liverpool and Manchester United may not allow their players travel for international matches

Reuters) – Manchester United manager Solskjaer and Liverpool’s manager Klopp said they may not allow their players travel for international matches.

Solskajer said the club will not allow Bruno Fernandes to travel overseas for Portugal’s matches during the international break if the midfielder is required to quarantine on his return to England.

Fernandes could face 10 days in isolation on his return from international duty because Portugal falls under the United Kingdom’s COVID-19 travel ‘red list’.

World soccer governing body FIFA has said clubs can refuse to release players if they are required to quarantine for more than five days on their return.

“We have not sat down and made a proper call on that one but it doesn’t make sense if you lose your player for 10 days’ isolation,” Solskjaer said after Wednesday’s Premier League draw at Crystal Palace.

“We are the ones paying the players … FIFA have given the rule that they don’t have to be released, so it is going to be a hard call to make to let them play in red-list countries.”

Portugal are scheduled to face Azerbaijan, Serbia and Luxembourg on March 24, 27 and 30 respectively in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Liverpool also announced that it may not allow their players to travel overseas for international matches later this month if they are required to quarantine for 10 days on their return to England, the Premier League club’s manager Juergen Klopp said on Wednesday.

Liverpool’s Brazilian players Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino and Portugal forward Diogo Jota could face 10 days in quarantine on their return to the United Kingdom from COVID-19 “red-list” countries.