Arne Slot braced for double blow as Liverpool star dangled huge carrot and player would 'like to go'

Arne Slot's maiden pre-season as Liverpool head coach won't start ideally as he'd like.

With both the European Championships and Copa America taking place this summer, a raft of his players won't be reporting for the first training day of the new boss' tenure at the start of July.

There's nothing that Slot can do. He would like captain Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Darwin Nunez, Alexis Mac Allister and the rest to be present from day one. Yet he won't be afforded such a luxury.

Slot will be unsure when he finally will get to meet his entire playing squad. Players will return in drips and drabs once their respective nations' tournaments come to a conclusion. The players will require a much-needed break afterwards, too. It could be several weeks until everyone assembles.

And Slot won't want any additional interruptions. Unfortunately, that might be the case. When Liverpool report for duty at the AXA Training Centre, there will be a dearth of senior players. However, included in the group will be Mo Salah - and there's no doubt Slot is relishing a chance to work with the Reds' talisman.

There has previously been speculation over Salah's future with a year left on his contract and his form taking a marked dip towards the end of the 2023-24 season. But his message on social media following the conclusion of the campaign was an indication that he's not contemplating a departure from Anfield this summer.

Therefore, Slot will have the winger in his plans for his first campaign in the hot seat. A substantial amount of his tactical blueprint might be around the 32-year-old operating at his peak.

Yet there is still the possibility that Salah could not be available for a period of pre-season. While the African Cup of Nations took place earlier this year, there is another tournament going ahead this summer. The Olympic Games are being hosted in Paris, with Egypt part of the 16-country line-up for football that starts on 24 July.

While squads are restricted for under-23s, a maximum of three overage players are allowed. Salah is wanted by the Egypt team and Yasser Idris, head of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, has dangled a carrot to the Liverpool star. Yaris has insisted Salah will carry his country's flag at the Opening Ceremony should he participate. Via Egypt Daily News, Idris said: “The Egyptian flag bearer for the opening has not been decided upon.

"We are delaying the matter while waiting for the big three in football to be known. If Mohamed Salah is present, it is necessary for him to carry the Egyptian flag."

What's more, Wataru Endo has also revealed he would be interested in representing Japan. The defensive midfielder is already the national team’s captain. Endo told ABEMA: “I’m wondering what will happen. Nothing has been decided yet. But my stance is that if I’m selected I’d like to go.”

As the Olympics is not an official FIFA tournament, clubs are not required to allow their players to attend. But if Salah and Endo were to request to represent Egypt and Japan respectively then Liverpool may reluctantly accept - and it would mean they miss out on the pre-season tour of America and a period preparing for the 2024-25 campaign.