© AP
The second wave of coronavirus sweeping Europe could significantly alter the plans of the England national team, who are preparing for UEFA Nations League matches against Belgium and Iceland. The English are set to play against the Belgians on November 15th, and three days later they are scheduled to host Iceland. However, the latter match is hanging by a thread.
Iceland played their first match in this stage of the national teams against Denmark, where a new strain of COVID-19 was detected, leading to stricter regulations on arrivals from Denmark to the United Kingdom. According to current UK rules, Icelandic footballers may not enter the country. According to Sky Sports, these rules will not be reviewed until the end of this week.
Therefore, there are only two possible solutions: to play the match on neutral ground or to award a loss to the English footballers, as per UEFA regulations which require football associations to ensure that opponents have the opportunity to enter the country. However, if the match were to take place on neutral ground, there is a risk that the English team and staff would have to self-isolate after the game, as the Icelanders would be coming from virus-affected Denmark. It is for this reason that some Premier League players will not be available to the Danish national team in upcoming matches.
