Luis Diaz will decide whether or not he is ready to play for Liverpool at Luton on Sunday, according to manager Jurgen Klopp, with the forward’s kidnapped father still missing.
On Thursday the Colombian government said Diaz’s parents – his mother was released earlier this week – were kidnapped last weekend by the guerrilla group National Liberation Army, also known as the ELN.
Officials are currently in negotiations with the radical left-wing rebels.
Diaz returned to Colombia ahead of Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday and missed Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory at Bournemouth, but will be in contention to feature for the club in Sunday’s game at Luton if he feels ready, Klopp revealed.
“We just wait to see where we can pick the boy up from and go from there,” said Klopp. “It’s all about him, that he makes himself available or not, and I don’t want to force anything.
“If he feels right, he will be with us. You can see he didn’t sleep a lot. The news from Colombia gives us a little bit of hope.
“I cannot say what we will do. It’s up to him, if he makes himself available or not.”
Klopp confirmed the 26-year-old had been back in first-team training since Wednesday, and insinuated the Colombia forward would travel with the squad to Kenilworth Road.
“We will not force the Luis situation. It’s out of our hands, we are just waiting for good news,” he added at his press conference on Friday.
“He was in training two days ago, yesterday he did a session, and he will be part of the team.
“If he feels right, he will train with us. When he’s with the boys he’s fine but you can tell he hasn’t slept a lot. We will wait to see how he is and go from there.
“The news – I didn’t personally get from Colombia, I always get it forwarded – but everything that gives us a bit of hope is good. We are waiting for really good news.”
What happened to Diaz’s parents?
Diogo Jota raises Diaz’s jersey as he celebrates scoring Liverpool’s opening goal against Nottingham Forest
Luis Manuel Diaz and his wife Cilenis Marulanda were snatched by armed men on motorbikes at a petrol station in the town of Barrancas, in La Guajira, near the border with Venezuela, on Saturday.
She was rescued within hours after police set up roadblocks – but the whereabouts of her husband remain unknown.
Otty Patino, who is leading the peace 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.”
On Tuesday, the 26-year-old Liverpool winger and Colombia international begged his father’s captors to release him – as his mother, uncle and other relatives took part in a vigil calling for his release.
He posted an Instagram story with details of the event and the caption: “Bring your candle to light the light of hope – free him now!”
Special forces were deployed to search for Mr Diaz, with air and land patrols trawling a mountain range that straddles both Colombia and Venezuela – as Colombia’s police director vowed to use every agent to find him.
But officials said they could not rule out the possibility that he has been smuggled over the border – meaning he will be out of reach of Colombian police.
A reward worth $48,000 (£39,000) has been offered for information that helps police locate Mr Diaz.
