Edinson Cavani to stay at Manchester United over the international break with Uruguay revealing they have cancelled his call-up for next month’s World Cup qualifiers… meaning he will avoid quarantine
- Players were advised by the Premier League not to travel to ‘red-list countries’
- Edinson Cavani was set to quarantine after arriving back in the UK next month
- But he will now stay at Manchester United with his Uruguay call-up cancelled
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had urged Cavani and Fred to prioritise the club instead
Edinson Cavani has seen his international call-up for Uruguay cancelled, meaning he will remain with Manchester United next month and avoid the need to quarantine.
It was announced last week that all 20 Premier League clubs agreed they would not release players if they were set to play matches in countries on the UK’s ‘red list’.
Those who decided to go would have been forced to undergo 10 days of mandatory quarantine upon their arrival back in the UK, and consequently would have missed games.
Edinson Cavani will stay at Manchester United after Uruguay scrapped his international call-up
Cavani was named in Uruguay’s squad, and was set to be ruled out for two Premier League games, a Carabao Cup tie and United’s Champions League opener.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warned the veteran striker, and his team-mate Fred, that they would have missed more than just a few matches if they went to South America.
But the climbdown from Uruguay, which was made official today, has now lowered tensions in the simmering club versus country row at Old Trafford.
Cavani was set to join up with his nation next month, but would have been forced to quarantine
‘According to the situation that has occurred for players from England, the Uruguayan Football Association has decided to cancel the call-up for Edinson Cavani,’ a Uruguay statement read on Monday morning.
The vast majority of South America has been included on the UK Government’s ‘red list’, and exemptions to the travel restrictions were not awarded to footballers.
Premier League chiefs initially lobbied the Government for the exemptions, and met with the Department of Media, Culture and Sport to make their case.
Sportsmail revealed, however, that the exemptions would not be granted, leading to the row over whether players would be free to go on international duty.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warned star Cavani that his fitness would have been hit by the isolation
Cavani laid bare his frustration with the top-flight’s stance over ‘red-list’ countries on social media, posting a screenshot of the statement with several question marks.
Uruguay have three World Cup qualifiers coming up at the start of September against Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador – and Cavani was expected to play an integral role.
Before it was made clear that United’s No 7 would not be travelling, boss Solskjaer claimed he and Fred would have struggled for fitness after touching back down.
‘It’s a fact that if you have to have 10 days in a hotel quarantining with no chance to train, no chance to keep your fitness up, then you’ll need another 10-14 days to get back up to fitness again and then you’ve got to fly again,’ he said.
Solskjaer urged Fred (left) and Cavani (right) not to go away and to prioritise United instead
‘It’s an impossible situation for the clubs, it’s an impossible situation for the players.
‘We understand that there are rules and broader issues here, that’s why we have to follow the rules and get on with it.
‘I don’t want to be the moaning one but if there was a choice for me, playing for Norway or playing for Man United, I know who my employer is.
‘Yes, it’s my country but the rules are as they are at the moment. Anyway, I’m not a player any more.’
Cavani expressed his bemusement at the Premier League’s decision to not release players
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero are set to join up with Argentina and defy the advice from the Premier League.
Nuno Espirito Santo claimed that the lack of support from the Government, FIFA and the top flight leaves Spurs powerless to stop them from going.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and midfielder Emi Buendia have both also travelled to play for Argentina, albeit with the permission of the club.
