Luis Diaz absent from Liverpool squad for Bournemouth clash

Diaz's mother has been rescued but dozens of soldiers, backed by police, are searching for his father. The Colombian army said in a statement that it had set up roadblocks and deployed two motorised platoons, unmanned aircraft, helicopters and a plane with radar in the search for Luis Manuel Diaz.

As a result, the Liverpool striker did not travel with his teammates on Wednesday for the Carabao Cup match against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. The search for his father continues and his inner circle are not giving up hope of finding him.

Colombian authorities did not provide details about the kidnapping, but media reports said the player's father and mother, Cilenis Marulanda, were taken Saturday by armed men on motorcycles at a gas station in their home town of Barrancas, in the northern La Guajira department.

Diogo Jota is expected to take his place in manager Jurgen Klopp's starting XI, as he did in the last Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at Anfield.

Jota held aloft Diaz's number seven shirt after scoring - the Colombian did not feature in Liverpool's squad following the kidnapping incident in his home country.