Mohamed Salah could miss start of 2021/22 after Egypt Olympics call-up – Liverpool FC

Mo Salah has been included within the preliminary Egypt squad for the Olympics, and with “official talks” to come back with Liverpool, he might be absent for the beginning of subsequent season.

The 2020 Olympics are set to be held this summer time following a delay as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, and soccer will once more be one of many occasions in Japan.

Egypt are amongst 14 nations to have already certified, having received the Africa U23 Cup of Nations in 2019, and although eligibility is capped at gamers underneath the age of 24, three overage picks may be made.

As captain and undoubtedly their finest participant, there was a lot hypothesis in Egypt over the inclusion of Salah – who final represented his nation on the Olympics in 2012, scoring in every of their group video games earlier than exiting on the quarter-final stage.

Now Egypt under-23s coach Shawky Gharib, who can be in cost on the event, has confirmed Liverpool’s No. 11 is in his preliminary squad, and “official talks” are set to happen over his involvement.

“Salah is at the moment some of the essential gamers on the planet and it’s regular to name him for Egypt’s Olympic squad,” Gharib confirmed on Sunday.

“We’ll begin the official talks with Liverpool after the worldwide break subsequent March.”

The necessity for talks with Salah’s membership comes as a result of Olympics overlapping with the beginning of the following marketing campaign, because the group stage begins on July 22 and the ultimate is to be performed on August 7.

Subsequent season’s Premier League is at the moment scheduled to start on August 7, and whereas Egypt usually are not assured to progress past the group stage, the shortage of a pre-season would successfully rule Salah out of the opener regardless.

It stays to be seen whether or not Liverpool, or Salah for that matter, will object to the striker’s place in Japan, but when he does be part of the Egypt squad it might add to a marketing campaign that’s already set for disruption.

The Africa Cup of Nations is to be held in Cameroon in January of subsequent 12 months, with the latter phases of the event working into February.

Egypt are but to qualify, however want solely to take some extent from Kenya of their subsequent qualifier on March 22 to safe their place, with Sadio Mane‘s Senegal already in and Naby Keita‘s Guinea shut to making sure progress too.

Liverpool face dropping three of their key gamers to the AFCON mid-season, and if Salah performs each then and on the Olympics, their prime goalscorer might be absent for a good portion of the marketing campaign.