Liverpool are believed to be adament that their Brazilian duo should be allowed to play this weekend despite a ban imposed by FIFA.
The Reds recently refused permission to Alisson Becker and Fabinho to join up with Brazil for the international break, leading to sanctions from the world’s governing body.
On Wednesday it was revealed that FIFA were set to invoke Article 5 in order to block Premier League clubs from selecting Brazilian players at the request of the South American nation.
According to the Liverpool Echo as cited by Kevin Palmer on Twitter, the club could be set to ignore the ruling.
Twitter: Will Liverpool find a way to play their Brazilian stars this weekend? The club v country battle is reaching a break… https://t.co/cCMyTk5EFO (@RealKevinPalmer)
The report claims that Liverpool are ‘determined’ to field their Samba stars due to Brazil being on the government’s list of red-list; meaning a lengthy quarantine period would’ve been imposed.
Forward Roberto Firmino is also named amongst those to be impacted, although the 29-year-old is likely to be absent with a hamstring injury regardless.
Brazil manager Tite has inadvertently thrown weight being the argument from Anfield by admitting ‘health comes first’ in the wake of the decision.
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This is clearly an ongoing situation that would impact both Liverpool and Sunday’s opponents Leeds United, who could be without Raphinha for the clash at Elland Road.
Ultimately a resolution must be found sooner rather than later, especially as a second international break in quick succession is scheduled as soon as October.
If a report from Sky Sports is anything to go by, it would appear Liverpool currently believe the authorities have ‘no foundation’ in which to ban their players – leading to the conclusion Alisson and Fabinho may well be in situ in Yorkshire.
