The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced on Sunday night that Matheus Nunes will not travel to Brazil, after being called to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, in 2022.
In a note quoted by the Globoesporte website, the organization cites “the health requirement to comply with quarantine on his return to Portugal”, while Sporting had made it known that the player would not travel after being called on the 27th due to the fact that the call arrived after the deadline stipulated in the regulations – Sporting should have received this indication 15 days before the first game in Brazil, which did not happen.
Brazil will face Chile on September 3, Argentina, on September 5, and FIFA closes this date against Peru, in the early morning of September 10, on the eve of the derby against FC Porto, which precedes the lions debuts and dragons in the Champions League.
This is the body’s statement: «The CBF informs that it received last night (28) a statement from Sporting denying the release of the player Matheus Nunes due to the sanitary requirement to comply with quarantine on his return to Portugal. Matheus Nunes still does not have complete vaccination, which prevents him from being included in the Portuguese government’s exception regime.”
Thus, the issue of vaccination led Sporting to also communicate to the CBF the unavailability to yield Matheus Nunes: the 23-year-old midfielder tested positive for Covid-19 on March 17, 2021. For this reason, and unlike most players Sporting’s main squad has not yet been vaccinated against the new coronavirus – it will only be able to receive the vaccine six months after the infection, which will happen in September. Hence, unlike most Sporting and Liga players, Matheus Nunes is not covered by the specificity of the sporting activity which, in Portugal, does not require mandatory quarantine on return from countries considered at risk, such as Brazil .
The CBF has not yet informed whether it will summon a replacement for Matheus Nunes. Without those who play in England and the player who plays in Portugal, of the 34 called up, there are 24 left over for the three games.
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