Liverpool players to return for pre-season on Tuesday

Liverpool players will start to return to the club on Tuesday after pre-season training was postponed following the death of Diogo Jota.

A small group of players, likely comprised of youngsters and those not on post-season international duty, were due to report to the AXA Training Centre for fitness checks on Friday.

A larger contingent were then expected to report back on Monday to start their preparations for the new season.

Those plans changed in the wake of Jota’s tragic death, with members of the Liverpool squad, staff and officials attending the funeral in Portugal on Saturday.

According the Liverpool Echo, the club are now set to return for training on Tuesday with players granted extra time off to grieve the death of their teammate and friend.

As it stands, there has been no decision on whether the first friendly of the summer against Preston next Sunday will be cancelled, with players and staff to be consulted upon their return.

If it does go ahead, tributes will be paid to Jota on what will be an emotionally charged afternoon on the pitch and in the stands.

Jota had been travelling back for pre-season with his brother Andre Silva when his vehicle crashed in northern Spain on Thursday morning.

In his tribute to Jota, Mohamed Salah spoke of how the No. 20’s tragic passing had left him “frightened of going back to Liverpool after the break.”

“I am truly lost for words,” Salah penned. “Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break.

“Teammates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back.

“My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children.

“Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.”