Brothers of Sean Cox to return to Anfield for first time since brutal attack

The brothers of LFC fan Sean Cox who was brutally attacked and left in a coma will make a return to Anfield tonight.

Dad-of-three Sean was left with  horrific injuries and permanent disabilities  after being punched by AS Roma fan  Simone Mastrelli  outside  Anfield  last April.

The attack on April 24 last year, left the Irish  Reds fan     in a coma for six weeks  at  Walton Neurological Centre   before he was transported home to Co Meath in Ireland.

Sean Cox with wife Martina before he was attacked. (Family handout/PA Wire)

His attacker Mastrelli was jailed for three and a half years.

The injuries  Sean  suffered were truly catastrophic and life-altering meaning he can no longer walk or speak.

Following the attack Sean's family have often updated fans on his recovery and thanked Scousers for their unwavering support.

And tonight it is understood that Sean's brothers - Peter and Martin - are returning to Anfield for the first time, to watch Liverpool vs Barcelona .

Sean Cox looked happy and comfortable at the AVIVA for the LFC Legends match (Brian Lawless/PA Wire.)

In a tweet the Spirit of Shankly wrote: "Thanks to the amazing generosity of a member, we are delighted to welcome Sean Cox’s brothers back to Anfield tonight.

"This is the first time they have felt able to attend a match since that terrible night last year.

"Let’s hope the Reds give them something special to tell Sean."

Martin(Centre) and Peter(L) Cox Brothers of Sean Cox visited Liverpool to say thank you to the city and Spirit of Shankly and to receive a cheque for money collected by fans. L-R Peter Cox, Martin Cox and Steve Monaghan(SOS) Photo by Gavin Trafford (Gavin Trafford)

Back in April Sean left hospital for the first time in 12 months to attend a charity match in his honour.

His devoted wife Martina said she hopes one day he will too be able to return back to Anfield and watch his beloved team.

She said: "He regularly went to Anfield.

"For him Anfield would have been a very safe place, because there had never been any incidents before.

"But unfortunately that day there was.

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"Down the line when he's well enough I would say Martin would definitely love to get him there - I would too.

"I'm sure Liverpool Football Club would love to have him there, because he never got in that day."

Martin and Peter(L) Cox Brothers of Sean Cox visited Liverpool to say thank you to the city and Spirit of Shankly and to receive a cheque for money collected by fans. Photo by Gavin Trafford (Gavin Trafford)

Liverpool and Barcelona will go head to head tonight at 8pm, in the final leg of the Champions League Semi Final.

To follow live updates from the match and the build up before kick off go to our website .

To find out more about Mr Cox's journey, or make a donation click here