Mohamed Salah, who plays for Liverpool, is probably going to miss the Premier League 2020/21 season as he has a potential call-up to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. He plays for Egypt on the international level. Egypt’s U23 coach cleared it that his intentions are to include Salah as one of the three overaged players in the team.
Shawky Gharib, while speaking to ON Sport TV, confirmed that he is yet to talk with Salah, although the Salah will have a final say in his participation in Japan.
Gharib said, “We have to send a preliminary list of 50 players. Salah will be the first on the list as an official call-up.”
The starting date of the tournament is July 22, with the final to be played on August 8. The Premier League is to start from the same weekend the Olympics will end.
In case Salah chooses Olympics over Premier League, he will definitely need some rest before he can continue with Liverpool.
Salah was a part of the team that played in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), were Egypt were out of the tournament at round of 16.
Gharib added, “As an Egyptian, I’m so proud of what he [Salah] is doing with Liverpool. He is an amazing player and makes the whole nation proud. But it is too early to talk about whether I will pick him to be with us in Tokyo 2020. I will think about the players that my team will need and then I will announce.”
Liverpool won’t be happy to see their forward miss yet another summer for the club.
Salah is going through rehabilitation for his ankle injury and is sure to miss Red’s Clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Egypt’s youth side earned them a place in Tokyo Olympics after it reached the finals of U023 Africa Cup of Nations.
There is a bright light for Liverpool midst potentially losing Salah; the 27-year-old has a complicated relationship with his National Team.