Brazil boss Tite is reportedly mulling over the possibility of not calling up Bobby Firmino to his squad for the upcoming international fixtures in October.
This comes from Globo Esporte (via Sport Witness), with the national boss said to be concerned over the No.9’s fitness levels since suffering an injury in the Reds’ stalemate with Chelsea in August.
The former Hoffenheim star had been ruled out of Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Norwich City in the EFL Cup, with a return in the Premier League against Brentford potentially on the cards following Jurgen Klopp’s positive injury update.
Given all three of the national side’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers are set to be hosted in red-list countries, the likes of Liverpool and other English top-flight outfits would certainly have cause for concern in light of the quarantine rules in place.
Without a relaxation of the rules being issued by the British government, we can’t see the club being particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of losing the likes of Firmino and co. for a period of ten days after their return from international duty.
With talks said to be ongoing between the government and FIFA, however, according to the Daily Mail, a door could be opened for the involvement of Premier League stars in the upcoming international break.