Liverpool have received a boost after the newly announced dates for next summer's Olympics mean Mohamed Salah misses out on a four month absence.
This summer's event in the Japanese capital has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There were suggestions that the rescheduled event could take place next spring as organisers looked to find room in the sporting calendar.
That would've meant Salah, who is wanted by Egypt as they target a gold medal in the football, missing a large chunk of the season.
Instead it means the forward will only be absent while he represents his country during the Africa Cup of Nations which takes place during the New Year.
His team-mate Sadio Mane will take part in the same competition with Senegal.
Football in the Olympics is generally an U23 competition but exceptions are made for a specific amount of over aged players.
But while Salah won't miss too much of next season he will see his preparations for the 2021/22 campaign interupted.
Although doubts still persist over the timing of next season and the subsequent knock on affects.
Sport around the globe is having to make allowances as they deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
The Olympics is one of the more recent high profile events to go by the wayside.
IOC president Thomas Bach said: “I am confident that, working together with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Japanese Government and all our stakeholders, we can master this unprecedented challenge.
“Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel. These Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 can be a light at the end of this tunnel.”
