EXCLUSIVE: Gareth Southgate could TRAIN England stars from his World Cup squad if they refuse to take the Covid jab – with vaccine refusers missing the first game against Iran as they have to self-isolate for five days after arriving in Qatar
England boss Gareth Southgate could be forced to exclude vaccine refusers from his World Cup squad
A handful of players expected to make it to his group for Qatar have not been pinned
Each ‘refusenik’ vaccine must isolate for five days upon arrival in Qatar
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England coach Gareth Southgate could leave several players out of his World Cup squad due to their refusal to take the Covid vaccine.
Sports post has been informed that a handful of players who would expect to make Southgate’s 26-strong party for the tournament in Qatar have yet to be vaccinated, which under current regulations means they will have to self-isolate for five days after arriving in the country in Nov.
England’s first World Cup game is on the opening day of the tournament, November 21, just six days after their scheduled arrival in Qatar, so any player forced to self-isolate will have to realistically sit out as they’ve barely trained with their team. friends.
Southgate is therefore contemplating an indigestible choice between completely omitting some vaccine refusers from its roster, as Chelsea and Crystal Palace have done on their pre-season tours, or going to the England opener with reduced numbers.
The issue of vaccine refusal also affects other World Cup clubs, such as France, with N’Golo Kante one of many international stars yet to be vaccinated, but England’s problem is more acute as they have been given an opening match.
FIFA is reportedly lobbying Qatar to relax Covid vaccine rules ahead of the tournament.
England boss Gareth Southgate could be forced to remove unvaccinated stars from his World Cup squad later this year
A number of players are expected in his group for Qatar who will have the Covid jab. have yet to receive
The issue of player vaccination is a hot topic in the Premier League this summer.
Crystal Palace had to take only 10 senior players on their pre-season tour of Singapore and Australia as some of their roster did not meet the entry requirements for these countries when the trip was scheduled.
Manager Patrick Vieira had to do without a number of high profile players including Wilfried Zaha, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Michael Olise.
Travelers are currently not allowed to enter Singapore if they are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19, while this was also the case in Australia until July 6, although they have since relaxed their rules on proof of vaccinations.
The club has not confirmed whether the players who do not make the trip are missing out due to their vaccination status against the coronavirus. They have instead stated that the absent players either do not meet the eligibility requirements or are ‘currently not fit’.
The Premier League revealed at the end of January that 80 per cent of England’s top players have been fully vaccinated, but they have not provided an update since.
Any ‘refuser’ will be in isolation for five days on arrival in Qatar, meaning they risk missing the opening game