Decision made on Preston North End v Liverpool pre-season game following Diogo Jota death

Preston North End’s pre-season friendly with Liverpool will be played as scheduled this weekend.

It’s understood that the Sunday fixture at Deepdale has been given the go-ahead following sensitive talks between both clubs in the aftermath of the tragic car crash that claimed the life of Anfield favourite Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva in Spain last Thursday.

The difficult decision also comes after both players and staff of the Reds were consulted on the game following their return to the club’s AXA Training Centre in Kirkby on Tuesday.

That return has been described as ‘sombre’ - which is understandable given the awful news that emerged last week.

Spanish officials say the car the duo were travelling in went off the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle. The brothers were travelling back to the UK in order for Jota - who is now believed to have been driving the car at the time - to report back for pre-season duty after his summer break.

Hundreds of mourners attended their funeral service in their hometown of Gondomar, Portugal, on Saturday. Among those to pay their respects and offer support to the family were a host of Jota’s Liverpool team-mates - including club captain Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, who both carried floral tributes into the church - and Reds manager Arne Slot.

The funeral took place just 13 days after Portugal international Jota married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he shared three children.

On Tuesday, Slot, Robertson and Michael Edwards - the CEO of the Reds’ owners, FSG - added flowers to the poignant array of tributes that have been laid at Anfield for their beloved No20 since the accident occurred.

Liverpool FC also honoured and celebrated the life of Jota in a special remembrance programme on Monday evening, which included testimonials from fans, team-mates and other figures from across the footballing world.

Preston North End - who kicked off their pre-season preparations at Bamber Bridge on Tuesday night - also want to pay a fitting tribute to the Portugal international and have been in discussions with the Reds on how best to mark the occasion.

The fixture, which kicks off at 3pm on Sunday, will be broadcast live on ITV. A decision to show the game was taken well before the tragic accident that has shaken the world of football.

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