Egypt to issue last plea to Liverpool for Mo Salah to join Olympics squad

Liverpool are expecting to receive a final request for Mo Salah to join Egypt's national squad in the Tokyo Olympics in July, according to UK and Egypt media reports.

Salah, who turned 29 on Tuesday, was named in Egypt's preliminary squad list as one of three overage players to join the under-23s.

Liverpool are yet to grant permission for Salah to take leave for the games, which could see their star forward miss the club's entire pre-season.

The Tokyo games' football tournament is due to begin on 22 July, with its final set for 7 August. The English Premier League will kick off on 14 August, leaving little time for Salah to recover if Egypt goes the length in the summer games.

The head of Egypt's Olympics squad has said he is yet to receive a response from Liverpool on the matter.

"We haven’t received a definitive response from Liverpool regarding Salah's participation in the Olympics. The Egyptian Football Association have not informed us that our request was rejected either," Shawky Gharib told El Mehwar TV.

"When a new developments take place we will be officially informed directly," he added.

In April, Gharib said Salah's inclusion in the preliminary lineup was due to him being "considered to be among the best three in the world, so I have to consider him".

"Salah is a big star and all the players want him around," he added.

Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, has already voiced his concerns about Salah travelling to Tokyo in the Summer.

"No decision has been made yet. What I have to say I will say it to Mo, so that is all. Neither side has made a decision," Klopp said last year, prior to the gummer games' postponement due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I wish we could have whole squad together for pre-season but that is not possible for different reasons."