Liverpool cancel planned preseason testing after Diogo Jota's death; Salah, Henderson pay tribute

New York Times

8 hours ago

Liverpool cancelled preseason tests for a small number of first-team players on Friday following the deaths of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, with Mohamed Salah revealing his fears at returning to the club because 'Diogo won't be there' in a heartfelt tribute.
A handful of players were due at Liverpool's Kirkby training base on Friday for testing after the summer break, but a staggered return will now begin from Monday to give the squad more time to process Thursday's news and say goodbye to their teammate.
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A funeral for Jota and Silva are due to take place in Gondomar, on the outskirts of Porto, on Saturday.
Jota and his younger brother, who was also a professional footballer, were killed in the early hours of Thursday morning when their car came off the road in the province of Zamora, in north west Spain.
The pair had been en route to the port of Santander in northern Spain, where Jota intended to take a ferry back to the United Kingdom ahead of the start of preseason – having been advised by medics not to fly following a minor procedure.
Arne Slot, the Liverpool head coach, described the 'state of shock' at the club as 'absolute' in a statement on Thursday, and a number of Jota's teammates have said they are struggling to find the words to express their grief in tributes to the Portugal international, who was 28.
Salah, Liverpool's star forward, said the news had left him 'frightened' to return to the club for preseason, knowing Jota would not be there.
'I am truly lost for words,' the Egyptian posted on Instagram on Friday. 'Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break.
'Team mates 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.'
Liverpool have opened physical and digital books of condolence for supporters to sign, and thousands of fans have paid their respects to the pair with tributes outside Anfield and Molineux, the home of Jota's former club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Among those to visit Anfield on Friday was former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who played alongside Jota for three seasons until 2023 and is now with Dutch club Ajax.
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A visibly-tearful Henderson laid a wreath of flowers with a note reading: 'Rest in peace my friend, along with your brother Andre. We will all miss you. Love Hendo and family'.
Meanwhile, dignitaries including the Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro were among the mourners at the Sao Cosme Chapel in Gondomar on Friday afternoon for a private wake. A funeral is due to take place on Saturday, with a number of Liverpool players and staff expected to be in attendance.
The bodies of the two men were returned to Portugal from Spain on Thursday evening.
(Top photo of former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson paying his respects at Anfield:)