Jurgen Klopp provides update on Liverpool star Luis Diaz's father after he was kidnapped in Colombia

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp stated that negotiations around Luis Diaz's father's release are "positive" after the Colombian forward was named in the squad to face Luton Town on Sunday (November 5).

Last week, Diaz's parents were kidnapped in Colombia. His mother was later rescued by the police, but his father is still being held as a hostage. The Colombian government has confirmed that the National Liberation Army (ELN) is behind the kidnappings.

The group has also released a statement stating that they'll release the Colombian forward's father soon. However, no other information has been made public since that announcement.

Addressing the situation, Klopp stated that the Colombian football player wanted to be a part of the team for their Premier League fixture against Luton Town. Klopp also said that the football ground is the safest place for any player, where they can forget their worries for a while. The German manager said (via Sky Sports):

"It's still pretty emotional but Luis decided three days ago he wanted to join training again."

"I said it before, training ground and football pitch is a safe place for the boys. There he can behave normal, forget for a few minutes at least what's going on, but all the signs he gets as far as I understand it are very positive."

Portuguese forward Diogo Jota showed support to the Colombian winger during Liverpool's last Premier League match against Nottingham Forest. He brought out Diaz's jersey after breaking the deadlock against Forest on October 29 (Sunday).

ELN commander admits that they made a mistake by not freeing Liverpool star Luis Diaz's father

The commander of the National Liberation Army (ELN) Antonio Garcia has stated that they made a mistake by not releasing Luis Diaz's father. He added that the group would soon release the forward's father.

Antonio Garcia wrote on his Telegram channel (via AFP):

"The retention of Luis Diaz's father by the Northern War Front was a mistake. Lucho is a symbol of Colombia - that is how we in the ELN feel about him."

According to the Daily Mail, around 150 uniformed military personnel, with the help of Colombian police and Airforce are in Luis Diaz's hometown, Barrancas, where they will facilitate the handover process under the guidance of Colonel Giovanni Montañez.

Luis Diaz's mother was rescued by the police a few hours after the kidnapping. However, his father is yet to return after he was kidnapped last Saturday, near the Venezuelan border.