MONTEVIDEO: Veteran striker Edinson Cavani said he feels sad and upset for missing the upcoming three rounds of World Cup qualifiers with Uruguay.
He and other South American players in the Premier League were pressured by their clubs not to travel to the region due to COVID-19 protocols of the British government.
Cavani spoke to the Uruguayan soccer association's online TV channel because he wanted "to tell things as they were" after a week of silence.
Any Premier League footballers who go to South America and then return to Britain have to spend 10 days in hotel quarantine and have little chance of training.
"We are exposed to decisions that are made in the organizations of some tournaments and leagues and any of the two decisions (traveling or not) would be bad for us," Cavani said Thursday.
"We don't get rich playing for our national teams. We have a commitment with ourselves and a moral commitment to defend our country. We get rich by wearing the shirt of our national teams."
Brazil, Chile and Paraguay are other the national teams whose England-based players did not travel for the qualifiers due to the restrictions.
Argentina brought four players from Aston Villa and Tottenham.