Report: Liverpool players granted more time ahead of pre season start | OneFootball

Grief brings pause to pre season routines

Liverpool players will return to training this Tuesday after their pre season schedule was paused due to the tragic death of teammate Diogo Jota. Originally, a small group including some younger players and those not involved in international duty were due to report back to the AXA Training Centre on Friday. A larger contingent had been expected to follow on Monday.

However, following Jota’s death in a car crash in northern Spain last Thursday, plans changed dramatically. Instead of focusing on fitness tests and tactical preparations under manager Arne Slot, attention turned to mourning and supporting one another.

Liverpool staff, players and club officials flew to Portugal to attend Jota’s funeral on Saturday. It was a united and sombre moment, a reminder of the deep community that surrounds Liverpool Football Club.

According to the Liverpool Echo, the decision has now been made to restart pre season on Tuesday, allowing players and staff more time to grieve privately and respectfully.

Photo: IMAGO

Squad spirit and community at heart of recovery

The tragedy has deeply affected the Liverpool dressing room. Jota was not only a key player in the club’s Premier League-winning campaign under Slot last season, but also a valued teammate and friend to many.

Mohamed Salah’s tribute to the Portuguese forward captured the mood in the squad.

“I am truly lost for words,” Salah wrote. “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.”

Jota was travelling back for pre season with his brother Andre Silva when the crash occurred. The loss of both men has devastated their family and shaken the entire Liverpool community.

Questions remain over friendly against Preston

While the focus has rightly been on grieving and supporting one another, practical football matters still linger in the background. Liverpool’s first pre season friendly is scheduled to take place next Sunday against Preston North End.

As of now, no final decision has been made regarding the match. The club will consult with players and staff upon their return on Tuesday to determine if they feel emotionally and mentally prepared to take part in the fixture.

If the game does go ahead, it will undoubtedly serve as a tribute to Jota. The club, fans and opposition will likely come together to remember the forward on what will be a deeply emotional afternoon.

Slot and his staff understand the importance of readiness, but the emphasis this week will be on emotional healing and collective unity before shifting into full competitive mode.

Focus on rebuilding Liverpool’s pre season momentum

Liverpool enter the 2025-26 campaign as defending Premier League champions. Arne Slot, in his first season, brought silverware back to Anfield and quickly earned the trust of both players and supporters. His attention to detail and emphasis on tactical organisation reinvigorated the squad.

But the return to pre season will feel different this time. The AXA Training Centre won’t just be a place for testing physical sharpness or discussing shape and structure. It will be a space for grief, for remembrance and for reconnecting as a team without a figure who had become part of the club’s identity.

Slot’s leadership will be critical in this moment. Balancing the need for preparation with compassion and sensitivity will shape how Liverpool enter the new season.

Supporters, too, will play their part. The Anfield faithful have long been a central part of the Liverpool community, and in recent days tributes and messages of support have poured in from across Merseyside and beyond. That spirit will no doubt continue when players take to the pitch again.

This pre season will not be remembered for tactical drills or fitness benchmarks. It will be remembered for community, for togetherness and for the lasting memory of a player who gave his all every time he wore the red shirt.