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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted that punishing players is not the solution to the problem facing international and domestic football relations.

Three Brazilian Liverpool stars are – as it stands – ineligible for Sunday’s clash with Leeds. That is because they have received five-day bans from FIFA, asked for by the Brazilian FA. The punishments come following the players not travelling to international duty amid fears about subsequent quarantine.

Indeed, Brazil is on the UK government’s red list and so 10 days of self-isolation in a hotel are required upon return.

Liverpool are already without Roberto Firmino, who is still nursing a hamstring injury. However, Alisson Becker and Fabinho are likely to miss out through the ban, while Raphinha will be absent for Leeds.

Asked if Alisson and Fabinho might play at Elland Road, Klopp told his pre-match press conference: “I have no idea when I can expect a solution.

“I don’t know in the moment, when I have to make a decision. The training session today [Friday] will obviously be a very important one.

“It would be nice if I could train with the team I want to play on Sunday, but we will see.”

Klopp has been a vocal critic of international football congesting the football calendar too much for some time.

Indeed, he has previously spoken out about the Africa Cup of Nations being played in the middle of a season. On Friday, he questioned the decision for Brazil and Argentina to play World Cup qualifiers that day, just before club football resumes.

However, talk of bans for players over their international duties has never been in the running – until the pandemic changed the circumstances for travel.

Klopp slams international football situation

“It’s a really difficult situation. It’s really tricky for all the clubs and players especially, because we should not forget in this moment that the players wanted to play these games,” the manager said.

“The clubs wanted to let the players go, but it was just not possible. Nobody would have told us to tell them to ‘go there and we will sort it while you are away’. It’s likely that you have to come home and quarantine in a hotel.

“It looks like, in the end, the players get the real punishment because they can’t play. That’s what they do, that’s what they love to do. That’s really not ok.”

Klopp then insisted that governments should consider going back to giving players exemptions to travel, despite concern about the general public’s subsequent view on the sport’s stars.

But the Liverpool boss said: “Because of all the things we do during the week, because of how often we get tested, how early we get knowledge about it… that’s completely different to normal society.

“The next day somebody will get a test and then we know it and we are in quarantine. So [the spread of coronavirus] didn’t happen a lot.”

Fabinho has insisted that he too wants a solution to the problem.

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