Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been left out of Egypt’s squad for this summer’s upcoming Olympics in Tokyo.
Egypt boss Shawky Gharib has long been keen to include Salah in his squad and has repeatedly called on Liverpool to release him, but the Reds were always reluctant to agree as it would cut into his club-level pre-season.
The problem for Gharib is that because FIFA does not recognize the Olympics as an official tournament, the clubs are given the freedom to prevent their players from participating in the competition – which is why the squad is largely filled with players under the age of 23.
Liverpool were not obliged to release Salah, and judging by the squad list published on the Egyptian Football Federation’s official website, they have not done so.
Gharib was desperate to get Salah involved but has clearly been forced to go in a different direction, so the winger will now have the chance to have a full pre-season with Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Salah will have a full pre-season with Liverpool / Sebastian Frej / MB Media / Getty Images
Salah’s potential inclusion at the Olympics has been a contentious issue for several months now. Gharib has consistently gone public with his desire to see his country’s talisman at the tournament, and he recently suggested that Salah himself be concerned.
“We got Salah’s approval to play at the Olympics before sending the request to Liverpool,” Gharib told ON Sport (via the Liverpool Echo). “We are still discussing with the Premier League club regarding the timing of the tournament.
“Sure, having the experienced players will give more strength to the tournament, but the club may reject the request due to their commitments at the same time during the Olympics.”
Gharib was determined to engage Salah / Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images
Liverpool have never spoken about the issue publicly, but it was always very unlikely that Salah would be able to compete in the Olympics, which start on July 21 and can last until August 7.
The new Premier League season does not start until August 14, before Liverpool will want at least two weeks with all their players, so it is not difficult to understand why they were never really keen to let Salah go.
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