Liverpool are facing an injury plus suspension crisis upfront, but it all could be solved as Diogo Jota will soon return from injury.
Jota has been out since the early weeks of pre-season. He was out for enduring a recurrence of a hamstring injury during training on the Asia trip.
It has been a significant blow for the Portuguese. He has so far missed eight games, including friendlies and five weeks of practice. Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp is running out of options in the attack.
Darwin Nunez was sent off for three games after receiving a straight red card on Monday night. And Roberto Firmino sat out the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace out of caution.
Following Nunez’s ejection, Mohamed Salah was the starting lineup’s only backup, with 17-year-old Bobby Clark sitting on the bench.
Nunez will miss the forthcoming matches against Man United, Bournemouth, and Newcastle. It is also questionable at this point whether Klopp would start his No. 27 player in the tense Merseyside derby on his comeback.
A potential return date for Diogo Jota
Jota’s availability and fitness would be beneficial. And according to GOAL‘s Neil Jones, the striker’s comeback for the match against Everton on September 3 is a “realistic target.”
Jota was to be back in full training by the middle of August. But the player said at the beginning of the month that he would be away for “a few more weeks.”
That would indicate participation with the rest of the team before the end of the month. But it’s unknown if he’ll be ready in time for the trip to Goodison Park.
More realistic could be a place on the bench that evening, with a gradual buildup of minutes and training time in the following weeks.
Firmino might potentially be available for the match against Man United on Monday. This is according to Klopp, who said after the team’s draw with Palace that the No. 9 “will be fine probably from Wednesday on.”
