The Reds forward is even more important for his country than he is for his club, but those at Anfield are eager to avoid seeing him head to Tokyo
Jurgen Klopp is reluctant to sanction Olympic duty for Mohamed Salah, but says Liverpool are yet to be put in a position by Egypt where a difficult decision has to be made.
It has been suggested that a talismanic presence at Anfield will be asked to fill a similar role for his country in Tokyo this summer.
Egypt’s U23 coach Shawky Gharib has stated his desire to have “one of the top three players in the world” at his disposal when piecing together a bid for gold medal glory.