PLANE TO SPAIN MAY SAVE PAIN
Fabinho reveals Kop’s Brazil stars plan to fly direct to Madrid for CL clash
LIVERPOOL are considering jetting Alisson and Fabinho directly from Brazil to Spain to ensure they can play against Atletico Madrid.
They know it is virtually impossible to fly the duo back to face Watford in tomorrow’s lunchtime game at Vicarage Road because their World Cup qualifier with Uruguay kicked off at 1.30am UK time today.
The qualifier was in Manaus and Fabinho says the Reds are investigating the possibility of jetting him and Alisson to the Spanish capital to avoid their 10-day hotel quarantine in the UK.
Liverpool face Atletico on Tuesday night in the Champions League at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium and Fabinho and Alisson would be able to rest before their team-mates joined them on Monday.
Fabinho revealed Liverpool’s plan at a Brazil press conference before the Uruguay game, saying: “I believe the match against Watford will be very hard for us to play. With all of what is involved, including travel, I don’t know how much time we will have between one game and the other.
“We will also need to quarantine, but the club is still studying whether it is better to go straight to Spain to play Atletico and quarantine there, without staying in a hotel in England.” Brazil coach Tite ruled out releasing his nine Premier League players before the Uruguay game, even though his team top the South America qualifying group and are virtual certainties to make it to Qatar. Watford refused Liverpool’s request to put tomorrow’s kickoff back to 7.45pm to give Fabinho and Alisson more time. Trent Alexander Arnold should return after his groin injury and Diogo Jota will be available, despite being sent back early by Portugal because of a muscle problem.