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Diogo Jota's physio, Miguel Goncalves, has recalled his final interaction with the Liverpool star, just hours before the tragic crash. He stated that the Portugal star decided to travel at night as it was cooler and his family was to join them in England over the weekend.
Speaking to Record, Goncalves, who works at Hospital São João in Porto, said that Jota had a medical checkup at Liverpool on Monday ahead of their pre-season training. The physio added that the 28-year-old was to take a break at a hotel in Burgos before continuing their journey by taking the ferry to England on Thursday, July 3. He said (via Metro):
"I said goodbye to him and his brother, Andre, at around 8:30 p.m. His brother was a great companion and decided to go with him, to accompany him on the trip, and that way they would also spend more time together. They were going to travel at night because it was cooler, but they weren’t going direct."
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"He told me that the journey would take about eight hours, but that they would stop at a hotel in the Burgos area to rest. Diogo was very aware of his professionalism. They were only supposed to arrive in Santander today, catch the boat and then go to England. The family would arrive later by plane, organize their lives over the weekend and then, on Monday, they had a medical appointment scheduled in Liverpool to assess the situation."
Diogo Jota was advised to take the ferry and avoid the plane following his lung surgery. The Reds star has reportedly taken the same route while traveling to and from Portugal in the past, and it was not the first time.
Diogo Jota was to skip Liverpool's pre-season in Japan
Miguel Goncalves confirmed that Diogo Jota made an extraordinary recovery from his lung surgery. The Liverpool star was set to skip the pre-season tour of Japan as he was keen on regaining his strength and doing well in the upcoming season. He told Record (via Metro):
"He made an extraordinary recovery, he was undoubtedly an unparalleled professional. He strictly followed what I told him, as you could see in the way he was recovering. The base of his right lung had collapsed a little, but with the post-surgery physiotherapy he was practically flawless. When I left him yesterday he was no longer in pain and was going to return to Liverpool. He told me that he would not go on the pre-season tour that Liverpool is going to Japan to strengthen his recovery, he believed he was going to have a great season."
Along with Diogo Jota, his brother Andre Silva, who plays for FC Penafiel, was also killed in the tragic crash in the early hours of Thursday, July 3.
