Liverpool forward Luis Diaz's parents were kidnapped in Colombia, and although his mother has since been rescued, it has been revealed that his father is still missing.
The Colombia international has not been named in the Liverpool squad for Sunday's Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest due to the horrific situation.
Colombia's President Gustavo Petro said on social media: "In a padlock operation in Barrancas, Luis Diaz's mother has been rescued, we continue the search for the father."
Meanwhile, a statement from Colombia's Football Federation read: "The Colombian Football Federation rejects the security situation that the parents of our player Luis Diaz are going through.
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"From the FCF, we express our solidarity with him and his entire family, and we call for the relevant authorities to act as quickly as possible to resolve the situation."
Various reports have claimed that Diaz's parents were stopped by gunmen on motorbikes as they drove to their house, and army resources are being used as part of the operation to rescue his father.
In a statement, the Colombian attorney General's office has said: "From the moment when Colombia's General Prosecutor's Office learned of the kidnapping of the parents of Colombian player Luis Díaz in the Barrancas area of La Guajira, a specialist team of prosecutors, CTI (Technical Investigation Team) officials and investigators from the police and military have been taking urgent action to locate these individuals, clarify the chain of events and identify the culprits."
Liverpool have also released a statement acknowledging the situation, with the club saying that they are "aware of the ongoing situation".
"Liverpool Football Club can confirm it is aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz in Colombia," read the statement on the club's official website.
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"It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player's welfare will continue to be our immediate priority."
Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said ahead of the clash with Forest: "We had to obviously make a late change because of the private situation involving Luis Diaz.
"It was a pretty tough night. I have never had that before. It's a new experience I never needed."
Diaz has been with Liverpool since January 2022, making the move to Anfield from Porto, and he has represented the club on 58 occasions, scoring 14 goals and registering nine assists in the process.
Matt Law
