Premier League decision will keep Tottenham Hotspur duo in London

Yesterday, Tottenham Hotspur players Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero were selected by Argentina for national team duty, today, the Premier League said no. 

For starters, this is not a personal issue against Lo Celso, Romero, or any other player being selected for their national team. Instead what the decision was, is a nod to the fact that player health and safety come first for the League as we are reminded that Covid is still very much part of our daily lives, especially in some countries.

What the Premier League said Tuesday

In a press release from the league on Tuesday, it was made clear that the clubs unanimously voted to not “release players for international matches in red-list countries next month”. It is this last bit about red-list countries that catch Lo Celso and Romero and would impact Spurs.

Currently, the Covid situation in Argentina is not good and this would mean a lot of risks and a lot of missed time for Lo Celso, Romero, and any other Premier League player who goes to a red-list country.

Argentina trip would mean quarantine for Tottenham duo

Ultimately, the big problem is just how long any player would be out that goes to a red-list country. According to the UK red-list rules, people coming from red-list countries must quarantine for at least 10 days before and have at least two Covid tests.

It would be bad enough for Tottenham and other teams to lose their players for a couple of weeks in the middle of the season. This would include Crystal Palace and Chelsea for Spurs, then if you add on another 10 days on top of that, the cost is just too much for a club to pay. Despite not starting either Premier League match thus far, there is no doubt that both Lo Celso and Romero will play a big role in the team this season.

It is unfortunate for Romero and Lo Celso to have to miss out but it is certainly helpful to Tottenham that they will not lose the two players for 3-4 weeks just for one international break. Surely, Romero and Lo Celso are disappointed however, it is nothing a few good performances for the club cannot help them overcome. I for one am glad they are staying put with Argentina’s loss being Tottenham’s gain.