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Andy Carroll's inclusion in Liverpool's squad for their Europa League qualifier will not impact on his eligibility to play for another club in the competition this season.
Carroll has been named in the squad for tomorrow's match against FC Gomel in Belarus.
And, providing there are no acceptable late bids prior to Liverpool boarding their flight this morning, the striker is likely to participate in the first leg of the qualifying-round tie.
UEFA rules do not bar players from involvement in the group stages if they have featured in the qualifying rounds for another team.
That frees Carroll to play without complicating any potential return to Newcastle United, who are also in the Europa League.
While interest in Carroll from Newcastle and West Ham is well documented, all the indications point to a drawn-out affair in determining his future.
West Ham's bid for a £2m loan deal, leading to an additional £16m permanent move should they stay up, was lodged over a week ago.
Liverpool have not yet responded to the offer as it depends on whether Carroll is prepared to move to London. They have been anticipating a rival bid from Newcastle, who are evidently pursuing their own transfer strategy in the hope the Merseyside club will accept a lower bid if Carroll refuses to go anywhere but St James' Park.
It would appear that all parties are hearing precisely what they want to hear in what may become a transfer saga. On Tyneside, there is a belief that Carroll is only interested in returning home. On Merseyside, it is suggested he is prepared to stay and fight for his future.
But the fact his agent, Mark Curtis, also represents West Ham manager Sam Allardyce and Kevin Nolan, who is Carroll's close friend, suggests that the 23-year-old has not ruled out a move to Upton Park.
With Luis Suarez on Olympic Games duty with Uruguay, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers might have little option but to use Carroll. New signing Fabio Borini is short of training time, and Rodgers' only other option would appear to be teenager Adam Morgan.
Rodgers wants to give senior players such as captain Steven Gerrard game time in Belarus but he is also wary of pushing them too hard. (© Daily Telegraph, London)
