Liverpool have been given the green light to delay the release of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The trio had been in danger of missing most of the festive period due to FIFA rules stating they were compelled to link up on Monday with their national team squads ahead of the tournament, which begins on January 9 in Cameroon.
However, it has emerged a request from domestic leagues was accepted by the Confederation of African Football that means clubs can now keep their players until January 3.
Salah, Mane and Keita will now be able to feature in Tuesday's Premier League visit to Leicester City and the trip to fellow title challengers Chelsea on Sunday.
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The three players will then definitely be missing for both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal, the FA Cup third round clash at home to Shrewsbury Town and the Premier League visit of Brentford.
Any further absence - from the Premier League game at Crystal Palace and a possible FA Cup fourth round tie - would depend on how far the players progress in the Africa Cup on Nations, with Salah's Egypt and Mane's Senegal among the favourites to win the competition, the final of which takes place on February 6.
The Associated Press has reported they have seen a letter from FIFA deputy secretary general Mattias Grafstrom confirming the “commitment of solidarity” to the World Leagues Forum and European Leagues.
“CAF has decided that for those players who have official club matches between the 27 December 2021 and 3 January 2022, the participating member associations in question are to be directed that these players may remain with their clubs to participate in these matches and be released after the last match during this period,” Grafstom wrote.
“It has been highlighted to FIFA that this decision is taken in the spirit of goodwill and solidarity with the affected clubs in recognition of the fact that they, like all members of the football community, have been adversely affected by the onset of the COVID pandemic.
“It is also assumed that a spirit of mutual cooperation remain between CAF and all relevant stakeholders in this regard, including related to the release of players and the provision of sporting exemptions to travel and quarantine restrictions if required in the future.”
