The English Premier League took a "painful" decision concerning the participation of players from countries classified in the COVID-19 red list with their national teams. According to the Premier League's decision, players traveling to countries on the red list for international matches in September must follow COVID-19 quarantine procedures, which will prevent clubs from utilizing their services for several matches. This led the league to prohibit these players from joining their national teams.
In a statement on its official website, the league said: "The clubs in the Premier League have reluctantly but unanimously decided not to release players for international matches played in countries on the red list next month," according to "AS" Spanish newspaper.
Recently, Liverpool FC refused to allow their player Mohamed Salah to join the Egyptian national team, which is preparing for matches in the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Egyptian Football Association stated that it received an official letter from Liverpool apologizing for Salah's inability to join the national team in its upcoming camp, citing the precautionary measures implemented in England to combat the global COVID-19 outbreak, which requires returning individuals from certain countries to undergo a mandatory ten-day quarantine upon returning to England.
Meanwhile, "Liverpool Echo" revealed that the "Reds" communicated with the Egyptian federation, expressing their agreement for Salah to participate in the second match against Gabon, which is not on the red list. The Egyptian national team will start its preparation camp for the qualifiers next Saturday, in a group that includes Libya, Gabon, and Angola. Liverpool also refused to release Salah to participate with the Olympic team in the recent Tokyo Summer Games, where the "Pharaohs" reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Brazil, which later won the title.
