The Zdravko Logarusic-led Warriors technical team’s hope of having United Kingdom-based players for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers is slow fading, amid revelations that the British government has turned FIFA’s plea for quarantine exemptions.

Clubs in England have barred players planning to travel to countries on the ‘Red List’ of Covid-19, as they (the players) would be forced into a mandatory ten-day quarantine on their return to the United Kingdom.

Both FIFA and CAF separately wrote to the UK government pleading with them to exempt players from quarantine and allow them to represent their countries during the international break which starts on Monday, but the Boris Johnson-led administration has reportedly insisted that will not happen.

The UK government, based on reports by the Telegraph and Sky News, considers making any exemptions a threat to public health, hence no chance of changing it’s stance in that regard.

If push comes to shove, Logarusic and his technical team will have to call up replacement players, as Marvellous Nakamba, Tendayi Darikwa, Admiral Muskwe, Jordan Zemura, Brendan Galloway, Macauley Bonne and David Moyo, had all been named in the provisional squad as ZIFA had been assured by FIFA that the governing body would do something to ensure all players are available for next week’s games.

Zimbabwe host rivals South Africa at the National Sports Stadium next Friday and then play Ethiopia four days later.