It’s hard to imagine a more difficult return to preseason for Liverpool’s players than the one facing Arne Slot’s squad on Tuesday

This ought to have been a joyful day, one marking the arrivals of three high-profile summer signings, as preparations for an exciting new season begin.

Instead, it’s the thought of someone missing that will define the mood at Liverpool’s AXA Training Ground.

Diogo Jota should have been returning for his sixth campaign at Liverpool, his first as a title-winner.

Luis Diaz posts emotional Liverpool goodbye and pays tribute to Diogo Jota	Liverpool receives welcome training boost as key man makes long-awaited return from injury	Luis Diaz pays tribute to Diogo Jota after leaving Liverpool in £65.5m transfer deal

Anyone associated with Liverpool will feel it, but perhaps none more so than the players, those who knew Jota best, who saw him every day, counted him as a friend and stood shoulder to shoulder with the talented Portuguese forward on a weekly basis.

It would be understandable if the return to preseason feels redundant.

That Mohamed Salah described the thought of returning to Liverpool as “frightening” underlines how deep those feelings run.

This was supposed to be a summer of celebration for Liverpool, but now it’s a club in mourning

That the club can begin returning to some semblance of normality should be seen as a blessing in comparison to their unimaginable grief.

After all, the club’s TV channel is broadcasting again and staff continue to work

On Tuesday, the book of condolence will close and Liverpool’s players will return to preseason.

Some may find solace in kicking a ball around with their peers, or even discover it’s cathartic in some way