September 30 – The UK government looks to be close to agreeing a set of criteria that will allow Premier League clubs to release players to travel to red-list countries without having to quarantine on their return.
The covid exemptions could be in place by the weekend to allow players to travel to join the countries for the upcoming international window.
Brazil and Argentina have both called up players from Premier League clubs. During the last international window Argentina called up Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez and Tottenham’s Giovanni Lo Celso and Cristian Romero. While the clubs had forbidden the players to travel, they ignored the instruction and joined the team in Brazil only to become involved in the farce that saw government health officials force the abandonment of the match because they had not adhered to Brazil’s covid quarantine regulations.
The UK government conditions include the players having to be double vaccinated as well as travelling by private jet and staying in strict bubbles in South America, report the Times.
What is unclear is whether the players who have been called up have been vaccinated.
Only seven Premier League clubs have more than 50% of their players double vaccinated.
Contact the writer of this story at paul.nicholson@insideworldfootball