Jürgen Klopp will allow two of his 'Fab Four' to attend an awards ceremony just 24 hours before Liverpool face Everton at Anfield in the FA Cup. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané have been named in the three-man shortlist for the African Football Player of the Year award alongside striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The ceremony will take place in Ghana on Thursday 4th January, a day prior to a fiesty derby clash between two local rivals in the third-round of the competition. Yet, Klopp has given his blessing for the duo to make the 7,000 mile round trip in order to attend the event.
According to the Liverpool Echo, plans are being put in place to hire a plane to take Salah and Mané back to Merseyside the morning of the game, allowing them to be selected for kick-off at 19:55pm.
Another award beckoning for in-form Mohamed Salah?
Having already won the BBC African Footballer of the Year award, Mohamed Salah will be looking to add the cherry on a thoroughly impressive 2017 which included a penalty goal that sent his country to the World Cup.
The Egyptian has made a momentous impact since joining Liverpool in the summer, notching his 20th goal for the club in just 26 appearances - equally the record of Daniel Sturridge while recording such a tally at a quicker rate than former-Anfield greats Robbie Fowler, Ian Rush, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez.
His other achievements include three club Player of the Month awards, two Goal of the Month awards, two Champions League Player of the Week awards and two Premier League Player of the Month awards, emphasising the magnitude of his impact on Klopp's team.
Such form sees Mohamed Salah head into the ceremony as the favourite for the award with the 25-year-old currently top goalscorer in the top flight and on course to feature prominently in the team of the season, should his form persist.
Liverpool's plethora of African talent
The very fact that Liverpool have two players among the final three to be shortlisted for the award speaks volumes in itself about the quality of African Reds on Merseyside. Sadio Mané's impact is well documented, with the Senegalese international's pace and flair adding an extra dimension to the attack. That was particularly evident last season as Klopp's side suffered a severe slump in momentum without the 25-year-old.
Undergoing somewhat of a slump in recent weeks since his red card against Manchester City, he still represents a pivotal member of Liverpool's team and deserves credit for his work over the course of 2017.
With Naby Keita set to join the ranks in the summer, Liverpool's African talent is only going to get better. Both Salah and Mané make for worthy winners of the award.