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Serbia would possibly rank without its captain and star for the elimination clash with Scotland, with the Italian fitness government refusing to allow players to travel.
Aleksandar Kolarov and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic are about to be anchored in Italy as the country seeks to take strong action against a momentary wave of coronavirus.
The last pause saw several outbreaks of Covid-19, and Celtic saw Odsonne Edouard, Hatem Elhamed and Nir Bitton fall with the virus.
Ryan Christie and Kieran Tierney of Scotland were forced to isolate themselves after Stuart Armstrong tested positive, but it looks like the shoe would possibly be on the other foot for the next foreign break.
Steve Clarke’s team will face Serbia on Thursday night in a bachelor position for a position at Euro 2020, but the Italian fitness government allows players to travel.
Local fitness councils (ASLs) in Lazio and Tuscany are not in a position to allow players to leave the country and return, while Inter and Sassuolo are in fiduciary isolation at the request of their local authorities.
Currently, players can play Serie A matches and have to stay home otherwise, and the ASL is willing to free Fiorentina, Genoa, Inter, Lazio, Rome and Sassuolo for overseas missions.
Each federation will need to contact the appropriate fitness authority to verify when and if players can enroll in their national teams.
And if permission is granted, Serbia could run out of many of its key men on Thursday.
Skipper Kolarov plays for Inter, while star Milinkovic-Savic is a Lazio player.
In addition, Nikola Milenkovic and Dusan Vlahovic are in Fiorentina and, as things are, will be able to travel.
Filip Djuricic, a imaginable replacement in the middle of the field, also couldn’t travel while playing at Sassuolo.
It remains to be noted whether UEFA or the Serbian Federation can find a solution.
Clubs are required to free their players for missions abroad, but the resolution is taken through the Italian fitness government and not through the clubs.