English champions Manchester City have been handed a double setback ahead of their return to the Premier League this weekend.
According to Sky Sports, Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson and striker Gabriel Jesus are set to miss the trip to Leicester City after the Brazilian FA triggered Fifa rules to enforce a five-day ban—from 10th to 14th September—on the Premier League sides who refused to release players for international duty this month.
More from Man City News
- Rodri believes City can have even more success this season
- Grealish, Stones, and Kovacic will NOT play tomorrow
- After Injury Guardiola is back in Etihad
- Humble Haaland Maintains Low Profile Leading Up to Ballon d’Or 2023
- Khadija Shaw and Erling Haaland nominated for NWF’s player of the season
The Football Association (FA) has also been contacted by FIFA regarding this matter, which would also see players from Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Leeds United banned for this weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures and also Tuesday’s Champions League matches.
Premier League clubs had decided unitedly to stop players from representing their respective countries in the latest round of international fixtures if it meant to go to a red-list country, which would require a 10-day period of isolation upon their return, Sky Sports report.
Should clubs refuse to adhere, then FIFA Article 22 of its Disciplinary Code states that they will forfeit any game in which a disallowed player has featured and face a parallel penalty. Players, too, might get hit with sanctions and fines, the report adds.
It is believed that the negotiations involving all parties are ongoing as Football Association, Brazil FA and Fifa look to come to a cordial conclusion, particularly with two further rounds of international fixtures to come before the end of 2021. As things stand, however; Manchester City are among the top Premier League clubs set to be without their star players this weekend.
While Pep Guardiola has an array of attacking talent to replace Jesus, Ederson’s unavailability will see him turn to third-choice goalkeeper Scott Carson with Manchester City’s No.2 Zack Steffen testing positive for Covid-19 while on international duty with the United States. This has ruled Steffen, 26, out for the Leicester City game on Saturday.