90min

England's Nations League Tie With Iceland in Doubt Over COVID-19 Restrictions

By Tom Gott

England are at risk of forfeiting their game against Iceland
England are at risk of forfeiting their game against Iceland / Pool/Getty Images
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England's upcoming meeting with Iceland in the UEFA Nations League is in doubt as new laws from the UK government would prohibit the Iceland squad from travelling to England.

With England stepping up their defence against COVID-19, the government have confirmed nobody will be allowed to travel to the country from Denmark, against whom Iceland are set to play on Sunday 15 November.

Erik Hamren's side are scheduled to travel to Wembley the following Wednesday, but as noted by The Telegraph, the Iceland squad would not be allowed to enter England because of the latest travel restrictions.

As the issue is no fault of Iceland's, it has been left to the English FA to come up with a solution if they are to avoid forfeiting the fixture. Locating a stadium in a neutral country is suggested as one possible avenue to explore.

There has yet to be any exemption granted to 'elite sportspeople', who are often given more freedom because they spend their days in a professional bubble. An FA spokesman said: “We are still awaiting clarification from the UK Government before proceeding with next steps.”

The game may have to be played elsewhere
The game may have to be played elsewhere / Robin Jones/Getty Images

The travel ban, which also impacts Sweden, means Premier League clubs are now expected to block their players from heading away on international duty with either Denmark or Sweden, with FIFA rules stating clubs have the power to do that if the risk of COVID-19 infection is too high.

Premier League officials have urged their clubs to keep their players at home instead of risking their health and forcing them into a 14-day isolation period upon their returns.

That means Leicester City's Kasper Schmeichel, Chelsea's Andreas Christensen, Southampton's Jannik Vestergaard and Tottenham Hotspur's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are all expected to stay at home instead of join up with the Denmark squad on Monday.

Hojbjerg is one of several players who may have to miss out
Hojbjerg is one of several players who may have to miss out / Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images

As for Sweden, they will likely be without Manchester United's Victor Lindelof, Newcastle United's Emile Krafth and Everton's Robin Olsen.

It remains to be seen whether the aforementioned players would be free to play in their respective country's other fixtures, although clubs will likely be keen to avoid taking any unnecessary risks.

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