Everton coach Carlo Ancelotti had stated that he would release his players for international duties immediately after his side’s English Premier League meeting with Manchester United at Goodison Park.
One of the questions he was asked was if Colombia internationals Yerry Mina and James Rodriguez will be allowed to join their national team in the last FIFA window of 2020.
Everton’s Alex Iwobi has also been included in the Nigeria squad ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Sierra Leone on November 13 and 17 in Benin City and Freetown respectively.
Under the revised FIFA rules, European clubs are not obliged to release their players to the federations if it would involve ‘a mandatory period of quarantine or self-isolation of at least five days upon arrival at the location of the club which has an obligation to release the player to an association team, or the location where a representative team match is scheduled to take place’.
On Mina and Rodriguez for the international break, Ancelotti told reporters: “All the players that have a call from the national teams are allowed to travel.”
If Iwobi is selected tomorrow, it would be the eight time in his professional career he has faced a Manchester United side.
The former Arsenal winger started the Super Eagles last two matches against Algeria and Tunisia.
