Liverpool's pre-season plans have received a major boost after it was confirmed that Mohamed Salah will not take part in this summer's Olympic Games.
The Egyptian FA had hoped to name the 29-year-old as one of three permitted overage players in a squad otherwise comprised of U23s for the tournament in Tokyo.
However, with the competition not coming under FIFA's jurisdiction, the Reds were free to block their players from participating.
And, after Ibrahima Konate and Takumi Minamino 's respective absences from the France and Japan squad were confirmed last month, it has now been revealed that Salah will also sit the Games out.
With the football element of this summer's Olympics set to run from July 21 to August 7, any players involved will face serious disruption to their preparations for the new campaign.
Liverpool are set to kick off the new Premier League season against Norwich City on August 14 - just a week after the final in the Japanese capital.
The Reds are already resigned to losing Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita to the Africa Cup of Nations in January of next year.
The Egyptian has previously represented his country at the Olympics, scoring three goals as they reached the quarter-finals in London 2012.
