MONTEVIDEO (AFP) – Veteran striker Edinson Cavani has admitted he feels “sad” and “bad” to miss the next three World Cup matches with Uruguay.
Cavani and other South American players serving in the Premier League have been pressured by their teams not to travel to their region due to the British government’s COVID-19 protocols.
The Manchester United striker spoke to Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) radio, after weeks of silence with the aim of “telling things as clearly as they are”.
Any Premier League player traveling to South America and back in the UK would have to spend 10 days in hotel quarantine and would not have much opportunity to train.
“They leave us open to the decision, and any of the decisions (travel or not) are detrimental to us players,” Cavani admitted on Thursday.
“We do not get rich when we play for the national team, we bring wealth when we wear the national team shirt. We become rich in spirit, we have a commitment to ourselves, a moral responsibility to defend our country, and these are things that make you sad when you have to face them.”
Brazil, Chile and Paraguay are other countries whose players who play in the Premier League have not been able to travel due to restrictions. Argentina brought in four players from Aston Villa and Tottenham.
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