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By HARRY BAMFORTH and ADRIAN BISHOP Updated: 23: 57 AEST, 13 July 2025 38 View comments Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Liverpool take on Preston in a preseason friendly one week on from the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva.   By Harry Bamforth As I type my first words in this blog, Diogo Jota's special chant continues on loop, as it has been for most of the day so far. And now, it fades as the two teams walk to the centre circle to observe a minute's silence and pay their respects to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. By Adrian Bishop Thanks for following our coverage in the lead-up to kick-off this afternoon. I will be leaving you in the capble hands of Harry Bamforth as he takes us through kick-off. By Adrian Bishop A packed Deepdale joins Claudia Rose Maguire in poignant renditions of Can't Help Falling in Love and You'll Never Walk Alone. The emotion is palpable as a tearful Ben Whiteman makes his way over the the Bill Shankly Kop to lay a wreath in front of the Liverpool supporters. The teams are making their way out onto the pitch now with kickoff just minutes away. By Adrian Bishop Liverpool are on the Deepdale pitch as they complete their pre-match warm-ups ahead of the 3pm kick-off. The tributes to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva are expected to commence shortly. By Adrian Bishop By Adrian Bishop Mohamed Salah will captain Liverpool as Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will make his first start between the sticks for the Reds after completing his move from Valencia. Meanwhile despite being linked with a move away from Merseyside after struggling for minutes last season, Federico Chiesa will also start for the visitors. New signing Milos Kerkez is on the bench but £100m man Florian Wirtz is not part of the matchday squad. By Adrian Bishop We are now just 30 minutes from kick-off as Liverpool prepare to return to action for the first time since the untimely death of Diogo Jota. As a reminder, we will be providing full coverage of all the action at Deepdale this afternoon. By Adrian Bishop Arne Slot, Liverpool manager: By Adrian Bishop By Adrian Bishop Mohamed Salah and his Liverpool team-mates have been inspecting the pitch ahead of kick-off at 3pm. Even in photos like these the weight of the last two weeks is evident to all involved. Arne Slot talked today about the need for his team to be able to follow Jota's example and be authentically themselves in whatever it is that they're feeling. Let's hope that getting back out on the pitch can prove cathartic for a team in mourning. By Adrian Bishop The football world has been united in mourning for the late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva, after the pair tragically passed away last week. Jota and his brother died when when their car crashed in the early hours last Thursday morning in northern Spain. The accident came just 11 days after Jota had married childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso, also 28, who is the mother of his two sons Dinis, four, and Duarte, two as well as his baby daughter Mafalda, who is just eight months old. Click below to read more: By Adrian Bishop This afternoon's friendly marks Liverpool's first fixture since their title-winning campaign came to a close with a draw against Crystal Palace back in May. Since then the Reds have welcomed several new additions to Merseyside, including former Bournemouth star Milos Kerkez and Germany international Florian Wirtz. However fans hoping to get a glimpse of what squad numbers are set to wear in the coming campaign may find themselves disappointed. The club announced earlier today that their six new arrivals have been assigned temporary numbers to be used throughout pre-season, with the following numbers allocated to them. 55 – Giorgi Mamardashvili 56 – Freddie Woodman 57 – Milos Kerkez 58 – Florian Wirtz 59 – Jeremie Frimpong 60 – Armin Pecsi By Adrian Bishop Chelsea winger Pedro Neto has penned a touching tribute to Diogo Jota after the former Liverpool star tragically died in a car crash aged 28. Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed in a car crash in northern Spain on July 3 in an incident that shocked the sporting world. Now, Neto, 25, has paid homage to Jota, who he won the Nations League with for Portugal when they defeated Iberian rivals Spain in the final on June 8. Click below to read more: By Adrian Bishop Prior to this afternoon's game an official tribute to both Jota and his brother Andre Silva will be held. The tribute is scheduled to begin at 2: 45 when Claudia Rose Maguire will perform live renditions of Can't Help Falling in Love and You'll Never Walk Alone from Deepdale. During the latter peformance Preston captain Ben Whiteman will lay a wreath in front of the visiting supporters ahead a minute's silence. Both sets of players will wear black armbands for the game, and all supporters in attendance can pick up a free programme dedicated to the deceased. By Adrian Bishop Arne Slot, Liverpool manager: By Adrian Bishop For the first time since Jota's passing, Arne Slot has given an interview discussing the late forward. The Liverpool manager discussed the club's decision to retire Jota's No 20, and how his players have coped in the wake of the tragedy. By Adrian Bishop Today should have marked the coming out party for Arne Slot's Premier League champions. In normal circumstances the Reds would be beginning preparations for the coming campaign awash with confidence after securing their second Premier League title. Instead, the tragic events of July 3 that claimed the lives of Jota and his brother Andre Silva has put everything into perspective. Fans from both teams have been paying tribute to Jota in the lead-up today's kick-off with more tributes scheduled before the action gets underway as the football world mourns the untimely loss of an extraordinary talent. By Adrian Bishop . .. and welcome to Mail Sport's coverage of Liverpool's pre-season friendly with Preston. The game marks the first since the tragic death of Reds star Diogo Jota just 10 days ago. Stay right here as we will bring you all the news and updates leading into kick-off at 3pm. By Adrian Bishop Deepdale is just a one-hour drive up the M6 from Anfield, and Reds fans have arrived at Sir Tom Finney way in their droves to support their team. More commonly a means for the players to shake off the cobwebs and for fans to catch a first glimpse at a new signing, today will instead mark a congregation of supporters rallying behind their club whilst continuing to come to terms with an unfathomable tragedy. Thanks for the memories Jota, good night and YNWA.

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