Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told Fred and Edinson Cavani that they should put club before country during this international break due to the possibility of a 10-day quarantine period in a British hotel. Solskjaer believes Manchester United and their South American internationals have been put in an “impossible situation” as a result of the quarantine rules that have led to a tug of war between the federations and clubs. A 10-day quarantine would rule them out of the Premier League games against the Magpies and West Ham, as well as the Champions League opener in Switzerland against Young Boys. Solskjaer said they could expect to miss another two weeks of action as they build up fitness once again if the players were forced into quarantine.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “I don’t want to be the manager who always moans, but it’s a fact that if you have to have 10 days in a hotel quarantining with no chance to train, no chance to keep your fitness up then you’ll need another 10-14 days to get back up to fitness again and then you’ve got to fly again. It’s an impossible situation for the clubs, it’s an impossible situation for the players. We understand that there are rules and broader issues here, that’s why we have to follow the rules and get on with it. I don’t want to be the moaning one but if there was a choice for me, playing for Norway or playing for Man United, I know who my employer is. Yes, it’s my country but the rules are as they are at the moment. Anyway, I’m not a player any more.”
Countries affected are still hoping for a resolution and FIFA president Gianni Infantino has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to urge the UK to relax the quarantine rules for those affected. Solskjaer believes a solution would suit all parties but said United would comply with whatever the final decision was.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “The Premier League made the decision they did, La Liga did, of course we’re all hoping for a solution but we leave that to the authorities. It’s the start of a very, very difficult and long season, a very important season, we’ll see what happens and hopefully there’s a solution. We’ll just have to follow the rules.”
