LIVERPOOL winger Luiz Diaz returned to training today – a week after his dad was kidnapped by guerrilla rebels in Colombia.
Luis Manuel Díaz Jimenez, 58, was taken hostage at gunpoint alongside his wife last Saturday at a petrol station.
Diaz’s Liverpool teammates have shown unwavering support throughout his ordeal – this is an old picture of Diaz trainingRichard Pelham / The Sun
SuppliedLiverpool’s Diaz (L) with his mum and dad Luis, who remains captive[/caption]
The kidnap by communist ELN rebels is believed to have been masterminded by a 40-year-old female fighter called Patricia.
The horror meant Diaz has missed Liverpool’s last two games.
But the 26-year-old could be back to face Luton Town on Saturday after rejoining his Reds teammates today.
Though manager Jürgen Klopp vowed “not to force anything” out of Diaz and said it is up to the starlet “whether he makes himself available or not”.
Klopp added: “He was in training two days ago, he had yesterday a session and will be part of the team.
“We must wait — if he feels right he will be here and train with us. We have just to see how he is and then we go from there.
“The news from Colombia . . . everything that gives us a little bit of hope is good. We are waiting actually for the really good news but that’s it pretty much.”
The German manager dedicated Sunday’s 3-0 Premier League victory over Forest to Díaz, saying it was “for our brother”.
Colombian authorities have offered a reward of $200,000,000 Peso (£40,600) for Luis Diaz’s return.
The kidnap sparked outrage in Colombia, where Luis Diaz is immensely popular and plays for the national team.
CCTV footage showed the Díazes being followed by men on motorbikes in their hometown of Barrancas, in the northern province of La Guajira.
Gunmen then accosted the couple at a petrol station, leaving the mother, before police closed in.
Police have been combing the mountainous Serranía del Perijá area near the Venezuelan border for Diaz during a frantic week-long hunt.
On Friday, Colombian authorities said promises by the ELN to release the father had been broken and he remains a hostage.
SuministradaThe kidnap is believed to have been masterminded by a female guerrilla fighter called Patricia[/caption]
AFPColombian authorities had offered a reward of $200,000,000 Peso (£40,600) for his return[/caption]