Diogo Jota is once again doubtful for Liverpool’s trip to Brentford, with the striker suffering a fitness complaint after his goal against Nottingham Forest.
Jota’s season – and, in truth, the majority of his time at Liverpool – has been stop-start so far, with the No. 20 limited to 11 starts.
Along with a long-term rib injury he has been sidelined with a series of fitness setbacks, which is again the case for Saturday’s clash with Brentford.
Absent from the squad working at the AXA Training Centre on Thursday, Jota instead trained separately, with Slot revealing he is a doubt in his pre-match press conference.
“There’s no doubt about the fact Jota is an important player for us,” he told reporters.
“But he wasn’t on the training pitch yesterday so we have to see where he is.
“It’s not sure that he will be available for tomorrow. We have to wait and see today.”
Asked about the nature of Jota’s issue, Slot replied: “He felt a little bit when he came in, a little niggle, during the half-hour he came in.
“He could finish the game but after he complained about it. That’s why he didn’t train yesterday.
“We have to see if he’s available today and of course tomorrow.”
He later added: “It will be a struggle to have him on the pitch maybe on Saturday, but we’re hoping to see him on the pitch in the near future again.”
It serves as another frustrating development for both player and club, with Jota’s equaliser off the bench in midweek a sign of his enduring quality.
“Not because it’s Jota, but every player has an individual programme,” Slot said when asked if there was a bespoke plan to manage his injuries.
“Eighty or 90 percent they do the same, but of course, every individual has things he wants to improve or to prevent him from getting a certain injury that he maybe had in the past.
“So of course there is an eye on him doing some individual work to prevent him from getting injured, but that’s not only with him, that’s with all the others the same.
“There is a special programme for him, as there is with every single player, but 80 or 90 percent is, for every player, the same.”
Neither Luis Diaz nor Darwin Nunez are the ideal solution in the No. 9 role, particularly in their consistency in front of goal, which the Portuguese undoubtedly offers.
Diaz was also not spotted in training on Thursday, which suggests Nunez could come in to start against Brentford after missing the last game through suspension.
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