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Dan Roan

Sports editor

Mandeep Sanghera

BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has said it is "going to be extremely difficult to accept" the death of fellow Reds player Diogo Jota.

Jota, aged 28, died in a car crash along with his brother Andre Silva, who was 25.

"I am truly lost for words," said Salah, who joined Liverpool in the summer of 2017.

"Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break.

"It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back.

"My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children.

They will never be forgotten."

The Guardia Civil told BBC Sport both men died at about 00:30 local time on Thursday.

Jota was on his way back to Liverpool for pre-season and, as doctors had advised him against flying because he had undergone minor surgery, he was making the trip by car and ferry.

He married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with who he had three children, just 11 days before the fatal crash.

Several Liverpool players were scheduled to return on Friday from their summer break for an initial round of physical tests at the club's training ground.

That was postponed and there will now be a phased return for players on Monday.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot's side are set to play their first pre-season match against Preston North End on Sunday, 13 July.

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher also paid tribute to "one of my closest friends in football".

"We bonded over all things, sports, watching any football match we could find - often your brother Andre's game on your iPad," said Kelleher.

"I was surprised a lad from Portugal loved sports such as darts, snooker and horse racing so much and some of my best memories were having a laugh watching them with you.

"It's going hurt for a long time and I'm going miss you so much but I feel so lucky to have got to know you and have such a good friend."

A vigil for Jota and Silva will be held at the Chapel of Resurrection in their hometown of Gondomar on Friday.

There will be a funeral service at 10:00 on Saturday at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar.

Locals and fans have been paying tribute to Jota outside the football academy in Gondomar where he played from the age of nine to 17.

The academy is named after him and a picture shows Jota wearing both the colours of the Portugal national side and the yellow of his hometown club as a child.

People have also been paying their respects at Liverpool and former club Wolves, who he left in 2020 to join the Reds.

Liverpool have set up a book of condolences in the Anfield Road Stand reception area and an online version of the book has also been made available to be "accessible to fans across the globe".