When you are a good and popular player, everyone wants you to play for their team, this is also applied to Mohamed Salah as he is included in a provisional 50-man squad to compete for the prestigious summer Olympics in Tokyo, this July.
Reuters said that if Salah travel to Tokyo, Liverpool could be forced to start Premier League 2020/2021 season without their Egyptian pharaoh.
But Egyptian Olympic team coach Shawky Gharib said the decision is still up to the player and the club.
“Salah’s participation with Egypt in Tokyo is a decision to be taken only by Salah, his club Liverpool and his coach Jurgen Klopp,” he said.
“We cannot force Salah to participate with us because FIFA regulations do not compel him to participate.”
However, coach Gharib still hopes Salah could play for the tournament.
“Salah is one of the top three players in the world and any team hopes to have a player of his capabilities and skills in the squad … I have chosen Salah in an expanded list of 50 players to select 18 players heading to Tokyo.
“The final list that will include 18 players will be sent next June, so it is too early to talk about the names of the 18 players.”
Salah could fill in the spot as three over-age players are allowed in each squad for the U-23 tournament.
FIFA has long acknowledged that clubs are not obliged to release over-age players for the Olympics.
The problem lies toward how Salah could be allow to play in the Olympics, and have an ample time to rest before the new Premier League season.
Earlier this month, Premier League announced that the 2020/2021 season will kick-off on Aug 8, while Olympic football will begin on July 22 until Aug 8.
If Egypt are through to the final, Salah will definitely missed the first Premier League, and few more games to let him rest. It’s either Klopp let him go or not.
Other solution could be signing a new player as a cover, since Liverpool did not sign a single player this season, until Takumi Minamino joined in January.