Liverpool players reported to the AXA Training Centre this morning for their first training session since the death of Diogo Jota.
The team was supposed to start pre-season last Friday, but plans were put on hold after Jota and his younger brother André Silva died in a car accident in Spain last Thursday.
Over the weekend, most of the players, together with head coach Arne Slot and some club officials, travelled to Gondomar in Portugal to attend Jota’s funeral.
This morning, players like Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley were seen arriving at Kirkby as Liverpool players returned to base after the funeral of Diogo Jota.
Liverpool are set to face Preston North End in a friendly this Sunday, July 13, but the club has not yet confirmed if the game will go ahead. That decision will be made after speaking with the players and staff.
Preston are preparing for the game as planned and say they will respect Liverpool’s wishes. If the match is played, the Championship side are planning to honour Jota with their tributes at Deepdale.
The match is expected to be shown live on ITV. The broadcaster had picked the game before the accident, but now it may take on extra meaning for both sets of fans.
At Jota’s funeral, many current and former Liverpool players were present. Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, Darwin Nunez, Ryan Gravenberch, Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa were all there. Former teammates Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Thiago Alcantara and Caoimhin Kelleher also joined the club’s delegation.
Training is back on, but for Liverpool, life without Jota has just begun. The new season will start, but his absence will be felt every day.
