Luis Diaz’s brother Jesus, 19, plays for his Colombian second division team just 48 hours after their parents were kidnapped… as police identify two suspects but are no closer to finding his missing father

Luis Diaz’s brother Jesus played for his Colombian second division team for the first time since their parents were kidnapped.

The Diaz family is devastated by the shocking incident in which gunmen kidnapped their mother and father while they were at a gas station in the small town of Barrancas on Saturday.

Her mother Cilenis Marulanda was freed by the kidnappers, but the whereabouts of his father Luis Manuel remain unknown.

26-year-old Luis Diaz reportedly remained in England for “security reasons” but his 19-year-old brother Jesus was playing for Barranquilla FC in Colombia’s second division just 48 hours after his parents were kidnapped.

Jesus Diaz started Barranquilla’s 1-0 loss to Cucuta Deportivo on Monday, with his coach Nelson Florez insisting he wanted to play despite the trauma in his family.

Luis Diaz’s brother Jesus, 19, played for his Colombian second division team on Monday

Liverpool star Luis Diaz has remained in England and will not travel to Colombia

The search for Luis Manuel Diaz continues as authorities monitor jungle areas near the border with Venezuela

It has since emerged that police have identified two of the four men involved in the kidnapping, but are still no closer to finding the missing man.

Luis Diaz learned of the kidnapping on Saturday evening, less than 24 hours before Liverpool’s Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Diaz played no role in the 3-0 win over Forest, which Jurgen Klopp described as “the most difficult circumstance”.

He has left the squad and is being looked after by Liverpool FC staff while he waits for news from his homeland.

Latest reports from Colombia claim that Luis Manuel was warned about possible threats against him before the kidnapping.

Diaz broke his silence since the kidnapping on Tuesday when he urged his supporters to march to demand the release of his missing father.

He shared a post on Instagram about a planned march in Colombia with a photo of Luis Manuel.

The post invited the “entire community” and asked them to “bring your candle to light the light of hope,” and the image ended with a call for the kidnappers to “free him now.”

Colombian authorities have sent army commandos to guard the border and prevent Luis Manuel Diaz from being taken to neighboring Venezuela.

The Colombian army issued an update that the search for Diaz’s father continues with support from “two motorized trains, unmanned aircraft, checkpoints, helicopters, a plane with special radar and more than 120 men,” Semana reported.

On Monday it was reported that border crossings between Colombia and Venezuela in the dense jungle were being monitored by army commandos as the large-scale search mission continued.

A reward of around £40,000 has been offered for information about the kidnapping

The star’s mother (pictured in 2019) has been rescued, but his father is believed to still be held captive and authorities are continuing the search

Colombian police director General William Salamanca joined the search on Monday

According to reports from Colombia, police are not ruling out the possibility that Diaz’s father is already in Venezuela, even though crossing the dense jungle would have been dangerous.

More details of the kidnapping emerged recently. Semana’s report said Diaz’s parents were buying watermelons when they were picked up by four gunmen on motorcycles.

After police conducted a “padlock” operation to find the pair, the attackers reportedly abandoned Diaz’s stolen car and drove off on three motorcycles, two of which were taken by civilians.

Diaz’s mother was freed from her ordeal with a reward of 200 million Colombian pesos [around £40,000] offered by the authorities for information.

Diaz remains in the thoughts of his teammates, who won 3-0 without him on Sunday