Jurgen Klopp has vowed to give Luis Diaz the scope to decide when the 26-year-old will return to action for Liverpool.
His parents were kidnapped in their native Colombia last weekend, and while his mother was released within a few hours, his father remains captive; although the group responsible for the crime have stated their intentions to release him ‘as soon as possible’.
That offers hope of him being reunited safely with his family, although the Reds manager has insisted that any decision on the number 7’s return to the fold will rest solely with the player himself.
Speaking in Friday morning’s press conference ahead of the Premier League clash against Luton on Sunday (via Liverpool Echo), Klopp said as to whether Diaz might feature at Kenilworth Road: “If he feels right, he will be will us. You can see he didn’t sleep a lot.
“The news from Colombia gives us a little bit of hope but I cannot say what we will do. It’s up to him if he makes himself available or not.”
The manager added: “We cannot force the Luis situation. It is not in our hands. We are waiting together for good news, so it’s currently four [senior attackers] with a lot of games coming.”
It goes without saying that we’d love to see Lucho back playing as soon as possible, given what he offers to the team, but more importantly it’d be an indication that the safety of his family has been assured and he can duly refocus on football matters.
Klopp is 100% correct to leave it at the player’s discretion as to his return. Only the 26-year-old himself will know when the time is right to be able to go back playing, and thankfully the news over the last 24 hours offers genuine hope that his father will be safely released from captivity.
That remains the single most important thing, and Liverpool’s number 7 will be welcomed back with open arms when he feels ready to take to the pitch again. If it is to be against Luton on Sunday, that will be a wonderful sight.