Egypt U23s coach Shawky Gharib admits he wants Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah to be part of their 2020 Tokyo Olympics squad.
Salah featured for the Pharaohs the last time they qualified for the tournament in London 2012, and would be allowed to be included as an overage player in 2020.
However, the Olympic Games clashes with pre-season and the start of the new Premier League campaign.
Gharib told CBC: "Mohamed Salah is a source of pride for all Arabs and Egyptians. He is one of the best players in the world and a gives a great image to Egypt abroad.
"However, the desire [to play in Olympics] have to be common. He is a professional and of course he has rights and duties towards his own club.
"Definitely I would love to have him with me but the most important thing is his will to play with us. He was one of the most committed players with me during my tenure with the senior national team and was the top scorer."
