Luis Diaz has been training with Liverpool while he waits for news on his father’s kidnapping (Picture: Getty Images)
Luis Diaz’s availability for Liverpool is entirely up to him and yet to be decided ahead of a trip to Luton Town on Sunday, according to manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Colombian’s parents were kidnapped over the weekend in his home country, with his mother released shortly after but his father remaining a hostage.
There are encouraging reports from Colombia that Luis Manuel Diaz is set to be released on Friday, with Semana reporting that his release is in a matter of hours rather than days.
Diaz has remained in England during the terrible time for his family, continuing to train with his teammates, but he was not involved in the win over Nottingham Forest last Sunday.
He may still be involved at Luton this Sunday, but Klopp is leaving that entirely up to the winger.
‘He was in training two days ago, he had a session yesterday,’ Klopp told a press conference on Friday. ‘If he feels right, he will be will here and train with us.
‘The session he had with us, you could see when he was with the boys he’s fine, but you can see as well he didn’t sleep a lot. We have to see how he is and we go from there.
‘The news from Colombia, I don’t get it personally but I get it forwarded, but everything that gives us a little bit of hope is good. So we are waiting for really good news.
‘I cannot really say what we will do because we just wait. It’s all about him, if he makes himself available or not and I don’t want to force anything. We cannot and will not force the Luis situation. We are just waiting together for good news.’
On Thursday, the Colombian government announced Diaz Snr had been kidnapped by left-wing rebels of the National Liberation Army, also known as ELN.
A delegation has been engaged in peace talks with the group. Otty Patino, who is leading the talks, said: ‘We demand that the ELN releases immediately Mr Luis Manuel Diaz and we say as of now that they are entirely responsible to secure his life and integrity.’
Reuters reported on Thursday that a representative of ELN has said the group will free the footballer’s father ‘as soon as possible’.
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