Liverpool have withdrawn Joel Matip from their clash with Manchester United as they seek assurances from FIFA over his continued eligibility.
The defender was omitted from Cameroon’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicked off weekend, after remaining in a self-imposed international exile.
Talks between Matip and national coach Hugo Broos failed to convince the Reds centre-back to end his current absence for his country.
But the Cameroon Football Federation have failed to confirm that the player is available for club selection and doubts remain about his availability during the competition.
A statement from Liverpool confirmed that Matip was left out of the team for the Old Trafford clash as they await a verdict from world football’s governing body.
“It is Liverpool’s view that the player should be available for club football during the period of the competition and will continue to work for a speedy and unambiguous resolution”, read the club statement.