Bosses baffled by red-list code
PREMIER LEAGUE players returning from red-list countries will not be able to celebrate goals with team-mates, jump into the crowd or swap shirts under new guidelines.
These are among the protocols in a code of conduct players have agreed to follow in order to benefit from a more relaxed isolation after World Cup qualifiers.
All players must arrive back in the UK on private jets before starting a 10-day quarantine, during which they:
Must travel alone or with a fully vaccinated driver with both wearing face coverings. They can join team flights, but must remain two metres away from other people;
Must use private drivers for all journeys to and from airports, team hotels and stadiums;
Can stay in hotels with their team-mates but must not have meals with them;
O Cannot do any media; O Must do all strength and conditioning work alone, with daily lateral flow tests and PCR checks on days zero, four and eight.
Liverpool have sent their Brazil duo Alisson and Fabinho straight to Spain from international duty ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid, ruling them out of today’s trip to Watford.
That will enable them to dodge the quarantine issues when they get back to England. Manchester City are doing similar with their Brazilians Ederson and Gabriel Jesus, flying them to Belgium, where City face Club Bruges in the Champions League on Tuesday — and they will miss today’s Burnley clash.
All four players are set to fly back to the UK more than 10 days after Brazil played in red-list Colombia on October 10, meaning they will not need to quarantine when they get back. Changes to the red list mean Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay players do not need to isolate.
But the code of conduct will affect others including the remaining Brazilians, plus Colombia and Ecuador players who return this weekend.
After the September international break, 10 days in strict hotel quarantine without being able to play or train with teammates was the price for any
player returning to the UK from a red-list country.
The guidance was relaxed this time with fully vaccinated players allowed to stay in bespoke facilities which they could leave but only to train and play — and only if sticking to the code of conduct, which was agreed with clubs, the FA, Public Health England and Government. Any player who breaches it would immediately lose their right to the exemption.
Difficulties getting players back to England having been involved in qualifiers late on Thursday or early Friday morning has also complicated the situation, and left many unlikely to play in this weekend’s matches.
Dean Smith, who could miss Douglas Luiz and Emi Martinez when Aston Villa face Wolves today, said: ‘FIFA have allowed World Cup qualifiers to be played within 48 hours of the fixture list of the Premier League, which makes it a bit farcical. That’s the hardest thing for any club that has South American players.’