Players must now isolate on return from Europe

Chelsea and Manchester City players will have to self-isolate for up to 10 days, apart from training and matches, when they return from their Champions League fixtures this week.

The new government rules, which came into force at 4am today, will also affect Arsenal, who are being forced to play their Europa League round-of-32 home leg against Benfica in Athens this week because Portugal is on the “red list” of countries.

Future ties and next month’s World Cup qualifiers will also be affected, which means some international players, whose clubs go deep into European competition, may have to undergo a number of quarantine periods for the rest of the season and will have to be careful not to fall foul of the new rules.

The rules will affect players, coaches and staff who travel overseas and who have to remain in their “bubble”. They can halve the 10-day period under the “Test to Release” scheme if they provide a negative Covid-19 test following five days of isolation.

Players will be allowed to travel to the training ground and for matches, but will otherwise be required to remain at home while they quarantine. Up until now elite athletes have been exempt.

The new rules also remove the quarantine exemption for new coaching appointments and, in theory, new signings, although the transfer window is closed.

However, it means that if a club sack their manager and hire another from overseas, he cannot take over immediately, as Thomas Tuchel was able to do following Frank Lampard’s dismissal at Chelsea. The exemption has now gone and he would have to wait a minimum of five days.

There is a growing concern over how the coronavirus restrictions will affect clubs during the next international break. Players will be able to return to Britain as long as they remain in the playing bubble with their national teams.

Government rules introduced in November stipulate that when in isolation, it is not possible to exercise outdoors, visit supermarkets or take taxis.

Breaches can result in fines of up to £10,000.

Chelsea face Atletico Madrid in the neutral venue of Bucharest tonight, then Manchester City play German side Borussia Monchengladbach in Budapest tomorrow.