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Egyptian Football Association president Ahmed Megahed has said that Mohamed Salah aims to play at the Tokyo Olympics despite his club Liverpool turning down a request for him to be released.
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The Press Association reported that Liverpool are unwilling to sanction Salah's absence at a crucial juncture in pre-season.
The Olympic Games in Japan are scheduled to run from July 22 until August 7, which is a week before the start of the Premier League season.
"I do not want to say that it is impossible for Salah to participate in the Olympics, but it is difficult," Megahed told Egyptian broadcaster ONTimeSport.
"Salah agreed to lead the Olympic team during the last camp of the Egyptian team. We contacted Liverpool to allow Salah to join the Olympic team.
"In the end, Liverpool refused the request because they do not want to lose the player at the beginning of the season, as well as next January with the Africa Cup of Nations, which will keep him from participating in the English Premier League matches.
"We spoke with Salah again, and he told us that he will make a new attempt with the technical staff of his team, to resolve the matter, and within the next two days he will find a way."
Salah, 29, took part in the London 2012 Games, scoring in all three groups stage matches against Brazil, New Zealand and Belarus before Egypt were knocked out by Japan.
At the Tokyo Games, Egypt have been drawn in Group C alongside two-time champions Argentina, 1992 winners Spain, and Australia.
The Olympics is mainly an under-23 tournament, but three over-age players are allowed in each squad. Fifa, world football's governing body, has stated that clubs are not obliged to release over-age players for the Olympics.
Liverpool's Takumi Minamino, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Southampton, has not been selected as one of Japan's over-age players, while new signing Ibrahima Konate is expected to be available for the start of pre-season on July 12 after the club turned down a request from France.