It is not great news on the return of Diogo Jota, with the forward not expected back for a few weeks after his latest injury issue – which Arne Slot has now explained.
Jota missed the dramatic win at Brentford due to his latest fitness complaint suffered after his goal at Nottingham Forest, with Slot calling it a “little niggle.”
Prior to the weekend’s game, the Dutchman said “we’re hoping to see him on the pitch in the near future again,” which did not instil a lot of confidence in a swift recovery.
His latest issue came nine games after his return from an 11-match rib injury, and after missing training on the eve of Lille’s visit in the Premier League, Slot was asked to offer an update.
When asked about Jota and Joe Gomez‘s possible return timelines, he told reporters: “Maybe Jota a bit earlier than Joe, and both of them are expected to be back with us in weeks, not in months.
“But I’ve said many times before that the last stage of rehab is the most difficult one, or the one that can sometimes add a few days or not.
“But it is clear we are expecting them to be back with us in the upcoming weeks but it is difficult to say exactly how long it is.
“But both of them are not going to be out for months, that’s for sure, as long as the rehab goes as planned, of course.”
When pressed on what the issue is for Jota, Slot explained that “he overloaded a certain muscle a bit,” which explains why he will not return for weeks as you cannot rush the recovery.
It is another untimely, and frustrating, blow for Jota, but Liverpool do at least have Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa all fit and available – although the latter is not fit enough for 90 minutes.
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