In the final chapter of the National Football League World Qualifying Asian 40, the venue of the match was changed from Gusau to Dubai, and the CFA has announced that the first phase of this season's Chinese Super League (CSL) tournament, which was originally scheduled to restart in late June, is feared to be postponed due to the policy of requiring quarantine for returning to the country after the 40-team tournament.
Just how long will the postponement of the Chinese Super League be? It has been revealed that it could be as long as a month, meaning the sixth round of the league may not kick off until late July.
For Shanghai Harbour, the team's Austrian center Arnautovic's situation affected by the European Championships is expected to be effectively controlled.
If the second half of the first phase of the Chinese Super League (CSL) kicks off in late June as originally planned, Arnautovic will miss at least three rounds of the CSL due to his participation in the European Championships with his national team. If the Austrians make it out of the group, he may even miss the crucial clash with Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua at Shanghai Harbor.
However, given the current situation, Arnautovic, who is expected to return to the team in early July, will miss at most one round of the Chinese Super League after completing his isolation. Moreover, he will have enough time to adjust his physical condition and prepare for the most crucial Beijing-Shanghai battle and derby in the first phase of the league.
The impact of Arnautovic's absence from the Chinese Super League has been drastically reduced, and the likelihood of him leaving the Shanghai seaport this summer is diminishing.
Despite previous speculation in the Italian media about the strong pursuit of Arnautovic by Serie A club Bologna, with the two sides appearing to be close to an agreement, Arnautovic's agent and brother Daniel has recently debunked the rumors in a recent interview with the Austrian media.
Arnautovic's contract with Shanghai Seaport is set to expire at the end of next year, so the club still retains the right to make the final decision regarding the player's stay.
With Arnautovic able to play in most of the Chinese Super League matches, retaining the team's star winger is undoubtedly the best option for head coach Leko and Shanghai Harbour Club.
