Liverpool players return to training as club faces life without Jota
Liverpool have returned for pre-season training sessions after the heartbreaking death of Diogo Jota, with players arriving back at the AXA Training Centre still visibly affected by the tragedy.
The Portuguese international, who wore the No.20 shirt for five seasons and helped us lift the Premier League just three months ago, was killed in a car accident on 3 July alongside his brother Andre Silva.
Their journey back to England was cut short by a devastating crash in Spain.
The squad had originally planned to begin training on Friday, but the tragedy led to a collective decision to delay the restart.
Arne Slot, now beginning preparations for his second season in charge, travelled with many first-team players to Gondomar to attend the funeral on Saturday morning.
This week, the first group of players returned to Kirkby – including Mo Salah, Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley – as we take the first tentative steps back into routine.
Salah returns as Slot leads emotional Liverpool reset
Our Egyptian talisman was one of several senior figures spotted arriving early on Tuesday morning, reuniting with team-mates at the AXA.
We can expect the first full session back will be deliberately light, with focus placed on bringing the group together in a supportive and personal environment.
Liverpool’s first pre-season match is currently scheduled for Sunday 13 July against Preston North End, though a final decision on whether to proceed has yet to be made.
The Championship side are preparing as planned, but remain in close contact with the club, who will consult players and staff in the coming days.
With or without a friendly, Liverpool will return to action this week
As things stand, the Reds have not confirmed Jota’s No.20 shirt will be retired, though a public campaign continues to grow.
Preston are reportedly planning their own tribute should the game go ahead, with the match scheduled to be televised on ITV – a decision made before the tragic events unfolded.
The Liverpool players who attended the funeral included Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Darwin Nunez, Ryan Gravenberch, Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo.
Former teammates such as James Milner, Caoimhin Kelleher and Jordan Henderson were also present, having laid personal tributes at Anfield in the days prior.
Salah’s return, along with several of our title-winning squad, signals the beginning of an extremely difficult road forward.
As Mo himself said on Instagram: “For Diogo not to be there is almost incomprehensible.”
You can view the images of Salah and Robertson returning for training courtesy of PA Media (via The Daily Star):
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