The Chilean Football authorities claim they have been left with "no choice" but to ask FIFA to intervene after Watford's Francisco Sierralta was not permitted to join up with the national team for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Premier League clubs are due to not release players for international matches played this month in countries on the UK Government’s red list, amid fears of exacerbating the current coronavirus situation, with no exemptions from quarantine rules currently in place for footballers.

However, in a letter written by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez, it was suggested that clubs could face punishment should their players not be released for duty.

"FIFA will proceed to reiterate to the member associations and affected clubs the regulations they are subject to comply and the consequences in case of any breach of the rules," wrote Infantino on August 23.

Sierralta, who was due to team up with Chile for games against Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia, confirmed that he had been prevented from travelling for the fixtures.

"It is very difficult to put into words what it means to me to play for my National Team, my Country," he wrote in a post on Instagram.

"It is always a pride and a giant emotion to wear the Red shirt.

"Today, the Premier League players find ourselves in a difficult and complicated situation, in which we do not have authorization from our clubs to travel to South America, due to government sanitary rules that harm us a lot on the return trip, which I hope will be resolved soon.

"But this does not mean that my support for La Roja and my teammates will not be stronger than ever! The greatest success in these qualifiers."

As a result of Sierralta's absence, and also that of Ben Brereton from Blackburn Rovers, who was also affected, Chile’s sporting director Francis Cagigao called on FIFA to intervene.

“As is quite evident, at this point, the English clubs have not solved the problems they have with the English government, especially with the 10 days of quarantine," he said.

"We understand that this is a problem that the English league must solve with the English federation and its Government.

“We will follow the FIFA regulations, which is the highest body in the world. We have to repeat, and we understand that the clubs must also respect that the players have to be with their clubs on the FIFA date.

“We have been in talks this whole week. These conversations did not advance and there is no choice but to ask FIFA to intervene in one way or another.”

After his letter to Dominguez, Infantino later urged Boris Johnson to find a solution so that players would not miss out on representing their countries.

In a statement made on August 25, he said: “We have faced global problems together in the past and must continue to do so in the future. The release of players in the upcoming international windows is a matter of great urgency and importance. I am grateful for the support and cooperation from many stakeholders in the game during this challenging period.

"I am calling on a show of solidarity from every member association, every league, and every club, to do what is both right and fair for the global game. Many of the best players in the world compete in leagues in England and Spain, and we believe these countries also share the responsibility to preserve and protect the sporting integrity of competitions around the world.

"On the issue of quarantine restrictions in England, for players returning from red-list countries, I have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and appealed for the necessary support, in particular, so players are not deprived of the opportunity of representing their countries in qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup, which is one of the ultimate honours for a professional footballer. I have suggested that an approach similar to that adopted by the UK government for the final stages of the EURO 2020 be implemented for the upcoming international matches.

"Together we have shown solidarity and unity in the fight against COVID-19. Now, I am urging everyone to ensure the release of international players for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.”