Liverpool block Salah, Alisson, Fabinho and Firmino from World Cup qualifiers over Covid quarantine concerns

LIVERPOOL are leading the Premier League into a fight with Fifa — by blocking their stars from playing in World Cup qualifiers next month.

The Merseysiders have banned Mo Salah from featuring for Egypt, on the UK’s Covid red list, so he does not miss three club games while in quarantine.

Reuters

Mo Salah was called up to the Egypt squad but Liverpool want to stop him joining up[/caption]

AFP

Man City could pull goalkeeper Ederson while Liverpool are understood to have told the Brazil FA that Alisson is among the players they won’t be releasing[/caption]

Liverpool are understood to have told the Brazilian FA that Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino are unavailable.

Manchester City will join their rivals’ stance by pulling out Brazil players Ederson and Gabriel Jesus if there are no quarantine exemptions.

Tottenham are also keen to stop Argentina stars Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero from heading to South America.

The European Club Association are furious with Fifa — and are claimed to have accused the governing body of “abusing its function” in a letter sent to teams.

Prem and FA chiefs are now in talks with the Government over whether they are willing to make changes to the quarantine restrictions.

Top-flight players and staff were exempt from having to self-isolate after international and European club games up until February.

Egypt, Brazil and Argentina are red-list countries, meaning that players would have to spend ten days quarantining in a hotel on their return to the UK.

Salah, Alisson, Fabinho and Firmino would miss Liverpool’s Prem games against Leeds and Crystal Palace — as well the Reds’ opening Champions League group match.

The club are refusing to let Salah play in Egypt’s home qualifier against Angola next month — although they would have allowed him to face amber-list nation Gabon.

An Egypt statement read: “We have received a letter from Liverpool apologising for the inability of its player, Mohamed Salah, to join the national team in its next camp.

“The English club’s letter referred to the precautionary measures applied in England to confront the outbreak of coronavirus in the world, which puts returnees from some countries in compulsory health isolation for a period of ten days upon their return to England.”

Egypt said they have asked Fifa for a travel exemption, meaning Salah would be able to play for his country and not face quarantine.

Salah tested positive for Covid while on international duty in November, having attended his brother’s wedding in Cairo before joining his Egypt team-mates.

Manchester United are monitoring the situation as their midfielder Fred has been called up for Brazil, along with Chelsea defender Thiago Silva, Leeds winger Raphinha, plus Everton forward Richarlison.

Brazil are away to Chile, also on the red list, on September 3 before hosting Argentina and Peru.

Argentina announced Emiliano Martinez and Emi Buendia of Aston Villa were also in their squad.