Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits he couldn't stand in the way of two Manchester United players living out an Olympic dream this summer.
As the dust settles on Euro 2020 and Copa America — tournaments that both featured a strong United contingent — the Norwegian manager is now set to lose Ivory Coast duo Eric Bailly and Amad for the next few weeks.
That's because the duo have been selected by their country for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics campaign.
Having arrived at Old Trafford during the January transfer window, fleet-footed wide man Amad has shown glimpses of the talent that he possesses, while he has already burst on to the scene at international level, scoring his first goal versus Burkina Faso in May.
Centre-back Bailly meanwhile is set to join up with the Ivorian squad as an 'over-age' player, with a limit on the number of players aged over 24 in the competition.
Explaining his decision to let them feature, Solskjaer told United's website: "I think everyone, when they grow up, watches the Olympics and can see Usain Bolt or Ryan Giggs. I saw him play in the Olympics [for Great Britain].
"When your country calls you up, I think I can't stand in the way of that boyhood dream being fulfilled.
"Of course, Eric is over-age, but I think they can see the value of him and that's why they have brought him in.
"Amad is a young, exciting prospect. It'll be good to see them. It'll be their pre-season, but they've got to come back with a medal. We need a nice feel about the place when they come back!"
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