Manchester City's hopes of having Brazilian Douglas Luiz provide cover for the aging midfield pair of Fernandinho and Fabian Delph have been dashed.
Manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed the 20-year-old midfielder failed to get a work permit for the upcoming season.
In discussion with reporters ahead of Sunday's visit to Arsenal, Guardiola admitted his anguish over Douglas' situation. "I'm so sad and disappointed," he said, courtesy of theScore's Daniel Rouse.
According to the Premier League's official website, "Players with passports from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area need permission to work in the UK." The Premier League adheres to several criteria for determining if a non-EU player qualifies for a work permit, with international play a factor in automatic qualification with reference to a multi-tiered points system. Douglas has yet to make a senior Brazil appearance, lining up on five occasions with the country's Under-20 set-up.
City applied for an exemption with the FA, who denied the club's claim.
The Vasco da Gama product spent last year on loan with City's Catalan proxy side Girona, making 15 La Liga appearances for the shock mid-table debutant. Only once was Douglas featured in the club's starting XI.
The Rio de Janeiro-born midfielder joined the league holders in July 2017 on a five-year deal, and was sent for a short-term spell with Girona shortly thereafter. Douglas was part of City's preseason International Champions Cup schedule, making appearances in matches against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
