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Odion Ighalo, Rafael Benitez and Chinese Super League foreigners may not return until October
- Coaches such as Rafael Benitez, Bruno Genesio and Juan Manuel Lillo left in limbo amid coronavirus entry ban
- Manchester United’s Odion Ighalo is among a third of foreign players who are not in China training for season to start, likely in mid-July
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The Chinese Super League’s foreign players and coaches who are outside China may not be allowed to return until October, according to reports in local media.
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Several Chinese outlets reported the story which broke on football reporter Miao Yuan’s Weibo on Tuesday, as up to a third of the league’s foreigners remain outside the country.
The reporter for the Sike football app wrote that those foreign players and coaches who are outside China may not be allowed in until October, along with other foreigners.
China banned foreigners from entering the country on March 28 as part of its coronavirus prevention measures. Despite suggestions that special visas would be issued to allow their entry, there has been no official word.
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The story puts into doubt the future of Nigeria striker Odion Ighalo. The former Watford forward is on loan at English Premier League side Manchester United from CSL club Shanghai Shenhua, but reports disagree over where he will next play.
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