Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos will miss out on the chance of an emotional Copa America homecoming after Colombia were stripped of co-hosting the tournament.
The move comes due to social unrest in the South American country with a wave of anti-Government street protests.
Colombian authorities had asked for the competition - due to kick off next month - to be postponed until November due to Covid-19 but that request was rejected.
Fellow organisers Argentina are now considering a move to stage the competition alone in a bitter blow to Colombia who hadn’t hosted the tournament for 20 years.
Protests started last month after president Ivan Duque attempted to impose a tax increase amid the pandemic that has left millions of people without work or food.
For Morelos, it means if selected then he will be denied the chance to star in front of his own fans at a major tournament.
The Rangers star started his professional career in Medellin which was one of four cities due to be used while Barranquilla was scheduled to host the final of the 10-team tournament.
Morelos was rewarded for his brilliant form this season with a call-up to the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Argentina next month, where he was hopeful that some good performances would earn him a call up to the Copa America squad.
The 24-year-old hit 17 goals this season to help fire the Steven Gerrard 's side to their first Scottish Premiership title in a decade.
He has previously been capped ten times for his national team, scoring once against Peru back in November 2019.
Morelos was omitted from the Colombia squad for the 2019 edition of the Copa America, with many believing disciplinary problems on the pitch for Rangers played a big part.
But this season he has produced more mature displays and didn’t pick up a single red card throughout the campaign.
He will have been looking to compete for a starting spot alongside Atalanta strikers Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel, while the idea of a home tournament for the first time since 2001 was extra appealing.
