Diogo Jota Facing 2 Months Out With Knee Injury

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota is potentially facing two months out of action as a result of the knee injury he suffered during the midweek Champions League clash with Midtjylland.

Jota started in a rotated Liverpool XI for the dead-rubber meeting in Denmark, a decision which has already seen critical fans take aim at manager Jurgen Klopp. Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fabinho were other senior players who also started, while more came off the bench.

Liverpool had been waiting to properly assess the extent of the injury, but a report from Record in Jota’s native Portugal has claimed the knee trouble will force a two-month layoff.

It means that Jota, who has scored nine goals in 17 Liverpool appearances since a £45m summer transfer from Wolves, could be out of action until mid-February.

That is a significant blow for the Reds as Jota has been a crucial addition this season, adding important squad depth and relieving the pressure on usual front three Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in an already squeezed campaign.

In the next couple of months, Liverpool meet Premier League leaders Tottenham home and away, as well as facing Manchester United, Manchester City and Leicester. But it is games against Crystal Palace, West Brom, Burnley and others where Jota’s absence may be felt most.

Liverpool will also begin this season’s FA Cup journey in January, a competition in which Klopp has heavily rotated his team in past seasons in order to focus on other subjectively more important things and thereby sacrificing the club’s chance of lifting the trophy.

Liverpool have already been hit by a few big injuries this season. First-choice centre-back pair Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are both nursing long-term knee injuries, while Thiago Alcantara hasn’t played since mid-October and goalkeeper Alisson has had a couple of spells out of action.

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