Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed he expects Diogo Jota to be out for weeks rather than months.
The Portuguese striker grabbed a crucial equalizer for Liverpool their recent 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at The City Ground, his fifth Premier League goal of the season, and had plenty of other chances to win the game after coming on as a second-half substitute.
The 28-year-old, a £45m signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 2020, has scored 64 times in 164 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool but has spent ten separate spells on the sidelines during his time on Merseyside .
He was ruled out of the weekend drama 2-0 win at Brentford – a game which saw Darwin Núñez score twice in stoppage time – and Slot has confirmed that Jota will not be fit to face Lille in Champions League on tuesday
“Maybe Jota (will come back) a bit earlier than Joe (Gomez),” the Dutchman told reporters. “Both are expected to be back with us in weeks rather than months.
“But I’ve said many times before that the last stage of rehabilitation is the most difficult, or the one that sometimes (can) add a few days or not. It’s clear that we expect them to be back with us in the next few weeks.
“It’s always hard to say exactly how long. Both won’t be out for months, that’s for sure, as long as the rehab goes as planned.”
Slot then confirmed that Jota’s latest problem was muscle-related, which is a common theme in his Liverpool career. The 28-year-old missed 12 games over a nearly two-month period between October and December with a similar problem, easing his way back into the team as a substitute before starting the third-round win in the FA Cup over Accrington Stanley.
Liverpool Núñez is expected to start in charge in midweek, having secured his place in the last 16 of the revamped Champions League.
