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Mohamed Salah is one of four Liverpool players who are not being released on international duty
Premier League clubs are leading European clubs that will stop players from leaving for red-list countries during September's international break.
Players would have to miss several domestic league games if they don't get quarantine exemptions. This is because of the 10-day isolation period that must be followed upon return to the UK.
Premier League and the Football Association are currently in discussions with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport about a relaxation of UK rules. Clubs across Europe are likely to face similar problems.
Liverpool is among those clubs refusing international duty players.
Four Reds players are affected – Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, Brazil trio Alisson Fabinho and Roberto Firmino – because their home countries are on the UK government’s red list external link.
On its website, the Egyptian Football Association stated that Liverpool had apologized for not allowing Salah join the national team.
The statement stated: "The Egyptian Football Association received a letter by Liverpool apologizing for the inability to its player, Mohamed Salah. This camp includes facing Angola, Cairo, and Gabon, Franceville during the first round of the African continent's qualifiers.
Liverpool confirmed however that Salah will be playing in the away fixture against Gabon as they don't have to go to a red-list country.
For Liverpool and other Premier League clubs, the main issue is the lack of an exemption from the UK quarantine rules. If there were one, players would be released.
Fifa extended the September and Oct international windows by 2 days in South America, creating additional problems for Premier League clubs. This was to allow countries to catch up with World Cup qualifiers that had been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The governing body stated that the two-day extension allowed for "sufficient rest and preparation between matches". External-link
This means that matches can be played on Thursday 9 September and Thursday 14 October. Players involved will be released for 11 days.
The games for Thursday, September 9th are Argentina v Bolivia (Friday at 00:30 BST), and Brazil v Peru on Friday at 01:30 BST.
Due to the time difference, players who were involved in these games may not be able to return to their clubs until Saturday 11 September when eight Premier League matches will take place.
Brazil's latest squad features nine Premier League players. They will be playing Argentina, Chile, and Peru in the qualifiers next month. The UK has placed all four countries on its red list.
There are just 100 English-based players who will likely be unavailable for international matches next week. The Premier League, FA, European Club Association, and its member clubs all want to find a solution as soon as possible. Quarantine exemptions seem to be the best starting point.
While the government refused to grant exemptions for British and Irish Lions players who returned from South Africa earlier in the month, it confirmed that it continued to hold regular talks with Premier League, FA, and other sporting organizations about a range of issues, including international travel rules.
