Diogo Jota may play against Real Madrid for Liverpool in the Champions League, according to Klopp. The Portuguese International has been out for a long time now. Would his return finally give Liverpool quality in the front line?
The likes of Luis Diaz, Roberto Firmino, Virgil van Dijk, Arthur Melo, and Diogo Jota are among the injured players for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Klopp hints at a Diogo Jota return for the Champions League round of 16
Diogo Jota is expected to be ready for Liverpool’s Champions League match against Real Madrid next month, according to Jurgen Klopp.
Since sustaining a calf injury in the last seconds of Liverpool’s 1-0 victory against Manchester City three months ago, 26-year-old Jota has been sidelined from the competition. Due to the severity of the complaint, the Portuguese had to be stretchered off and was forced to miss the World Cup in Qatar.
Jota has recently resumed light training, but he won’t feature in Tuesday night’s FA Cup third-round rematch between Liverpool and Wolves at Molineux. The attacker “looks pretty well,” according to Klopp, who is hoping he will be able to play against Real in February.
Klopp:
“I don’t know exactly how long Diogo will be out for, but he looks really good. He looks really good, he’s out there on the pitch. He’s doing a lot of stuff already.”
When asked if he can play against Real Madrid, the German said:
“From my point of view, yes. But I don’t know. Yes.”
Jota is already working hard on the field, according to Klopp, but he won’t be back for a few more weeks.
What the future holds?
Since moving to Liverpool from Wolves in the summer of 2020, Jota has established himself as one of the team’s top attackers. The 29-cap international was a tremendous help to Klopp when he returned from injury last season, scoring 21 goals across all competitions.
Liverpool’s matchup with Real in the round of 16 may be the turning point of their season. Currently ranked ninth in the Premier League league, 10 points behind fourth-place Manchester United, Klopp’s team has lost both of its most recent matches against Brentford and Brighton.
The Community Shield champions’ aspirations for the FA Cup are in jeopardy after Manchester City eliminated them from the Carabao Cup last month. Liverpool could need to win the Champions League this year in order to advance to the competition next year.
That will be challenging given Liverpool’s dismal record versus Real. In the finals of 2018 and 2022, the Spanish titans overcame them. Additionally, they eliminated them in the quarterfinals of the previous season. Jota’s prompt return, though, will greatly boost Liverpool’s prospects.
Due to injuries and Sadio Mane’s departure to Bayern Munich in the summer, Liverpool has had a difficult season.
Inactive players include Darwin Nunez (hamstring), Virgil van Dijk (hamstring), Virgil Firmino (leg), Luis Diaz (knee), Arthur Melo (thigh), and Roberto Firmino (leg).
