Man City Join Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Leeds in Devising Plan to Secure South American Players for Premier League Weekend

Controversy has been stirred up over the latest round of South American international fixtures, with Brazil and Argentina among the nations playing at what will be early on Friday morning in British time. 

Manchester City stars Gabriel Jesus and Ederson are with the former, who face Uruguay at 1:30AM BST.

While it was previously assumed that such a late kick-off time would rule the players out of Saturday's Premier League home fixture against Burnley, recent reports from the Daily Mail suggest a possible collaboration between a handful of Premier League clubs with the aim of hiring a private jet to get their players back into the country in time.

If this idea is made a reality, Jesus and Ederson could be back with the squad in time to face Sean Dyche's men. 

However, it is thought that Ederson may be more likely to start, given that his position as a goalkeeper generally leads to less physical exertion than an outfield player. 

It remains to be seen whether Pep Guardiola and his team will choose to deploy the pair even if they return in time; physical condition must be considered carefully. 

Also among the clubs rumoured to be in talks are Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Leeds. 

At the start of the season, players who travelled for international fixtures were required to quarantine completely for ten days upon their return from UK red-list countries. This included much of South America, which led to several clubs - including Manchester City - refusing to release their players for international duty. 

After a brief battle between the Premier League, FIFA and other governing bodies, an exemption was agreed before the most recent international break.

Under current regulations, Premier League players who travel back from the continent will still have to self-isolate for ten days upon their return- but will be allowed outside exclusively to train and play in matches, as those activities are aided by the Premier League's regular testing policies.