Diogo Jota's physio speaks out about Liverpool star's little-known issue before death

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota had been valiantly playing despite suffering from a pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, in the weeks leading up to his untimely death, according to his physiotherapist.

Miguel Goncalves disclosed that Jota was so intent on helping Liverpool clinch their second Premier League title that he postponed his surgery for a pneumothorax.

Jota was also eager to take part in Portugal's Nations League match against Spain in June, where Portugal triumphed in a penalty shootout.

Tragically, at 28 years old, Jota passed away just five hours after seeing Mr Goncalves, perishing in a catastrophic crash in Zamora, Spain, along with his younger brother Andre.

The brothers, who lost their lives when the Lamborghini Huracan they were in was involved in the fatal incident, had planned to drive to Santander to board a ferry to England. Their car is suspected to have suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking and burst into flames after crashing.

Mr Goncalves recounted: "I said goodbye to him and his brother, Andre, at around 8:30pm. 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."

The funeral of Jota and his brother will take place in their home town of Gondomar, which is close to Porto, at 10am on Saturday morning. A wake is due to take place at Sao Cosme Chapel before a funeral service at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar.

This church, situated roughly half an hour from Porto – Jota's hometown – is where he married his childhood love Rute two weeks ago, surrounded by a congregation of family and friends.

Speaking with the Portuguese news outlet Record, Mr Goncalves, who typically works in a hospital in Porto, said: "Diogo was very aware of his professionalism. They were only supposed to arrive in Santander today (Thursday), catch the boat and then go to England.

"The family would arrive later by plane, organise their lives over the weekend and then, on Monday, they had a medical appointment scheduled in Liverpool to assess the situation."

Jota, the father of three children, had been warned against flying due to the potential danger to his well-being following minor surgery. Instead, he was set to travel on the Brittany Ferries from Santander, which was expected to dock in Plymouth, Devon, this morning.

Mr Goncalves highlighted Jota's dedication to his craft, lauding his significant professionalism, as well as talking about his surgery.

The physiotherapist continued: "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 was excited, confident in his recovery and enthusiastic about the next season."