Belgium want Fellaini banned

Everton insist midfielder will play this weekend

By Graeme Bailey   Last updated: 13th October 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Belgium want Fellaini banned

Fellaini: Ban threat

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Belgium have asked Fifa to prevent Marouane Fellaini from playing for Everton this weekend.

After playing in Belgium's win over Turkey at the weekend, the midfielder has pulled out of their clash with Estonia on Wednesday because of surgery he needed on his wisdom teeth.

Everton were convinced that Fellaini had an agreement in place with new Belgium boss Dick Advocaat that if he played at the weekend he would be free to miss the match with Estonia in order to have operation - which went ahead on Monday.

But the Belgian FA (KBVB) have insisted that Fellaini did not seek permission to miss the match on Wednesday, and as such they have asked Fifa to apply their five-day rule.

Under Fifa regulations, should a player miss an international fixture after being called up, and he does not have the permission of that country to do so, then he will be banned from playing any match for the next five days.

That would mean that Fellaini could not play until next week, ruling him out of Everton's clash with Wolves.

"Fellaini is called for the match with Estonia. If he decides not to come, he knows the consequences," Belgium FA's director general Jean-Marie Phillips confirmed to De Standaard.

"Mr Advocaat has asked that the Fifa regulations strictly apply and therefore Marouane may not play this weekend with Everton.

"The coach has talked with Fellaini, but I do not know what he said - I would imagine that he tried to convince him that the operation could be done another time - but he obviously did not succeed.

"I am happy that everyone around the Red Devils are on the same wave-length, but if Fifa decides in Everton's favour we will accept that."

Everton denial

Everton, though, insist that Fellaini will be free to face Wolves at the weekend.

"From the club's perspective, he was available for both games," Everton spokesman Ian Ross told Sky Sports News.

"Belgium, if they believe we have broken the rules, are perfectly entitled to go to Fifa and invoke the ruling, but we think that would be unduly harsh as we released him for both games.

"He has the surgery on Monday and so won't be available to play on Wednesday, he wanted the surgery earlier so that he would be available for our game on Saturday.

"You don't want a £15million footballer being ruled out because of a technicality, as far as we were concerned he was released to us for both games.

"It would be very harsh of Fifa to invoke the five-day ruling.

"The arrangement was struck between the player and Mr Advocaat, who changed his mind which he is entitled to do, but it seems harsh then to turn around and point the finger at Everton.

"He decided not to play after talking with Mr Advocaat, he got the go-ahead to have the operation, and that is our understanding from our player."