EPL clubs unite to fly in nine Brazil and Uruguay stars

Premier League sides have chartered a private jet to ensure that their South American players are back for this weekend’s clash

Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United are understood to be involved in clubbing together for an aircraft costing six figures to carry international players.

Nine top-flight representatives from Brazil and Uruguay will take off immediately after their World Cup qualifier in Manaus, scheduled to kick off on Friday at 1:30am UK time.

Leeds United’s Raphinha is expected to fly back too along with United’s Edinson Cavani and Fred, City’s Ederson and Gabriel Jesus and Liverpool pair Alisson and Fabinho.

Chelsea’s Thiago Silva and Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa are also travelling home and the possibility of arranging two flights, splitting the group up based on where their clubs will be playing on Saturday, has been discussed.

Spurs intend to fly their quartet – Argentina’s Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero, Colomba’s Davinson Sanchez and Brazilian Emerson Royal – also by private jet ahead of Sunday’s trip to newly taken over Newcastle.

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Clubs face big decisions over whether any of their outfield South American cohort are deemed fit enough to take part in the Premier League’s next round of fixtures. The two goalkeepers, Ederson and Alisson, are more likely to feature.

Liverpool have the tightest turnaround, with only a 35-hour gap between Brazil’s qualifier kicking off and their Saturday lunchtime game at Watford.

City, United, Leeds and Aston Villa have an additional two-and-a-half hours, while Chelsea’s timescale is 40 hours before hosting Brentford on Saturday evening.