Arne Slot reveals Liverpool forward’s injury blow with star set to be ruled out for ‘weeks’ ahead of Champions League clash against Lille

Arne Slot has revealed Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has suffered a muscle injury that will rule him out for several weeks in the club’s latest fitness blow.

Jota will be sidelined for the Reds’ visit of Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday after his latest setback, having only returned last month from a chest problem sustained during the victory over Chelsea in October.

He scored just 22 seconds after coming on as a substitute in last week’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest but picked up his latest fitness issue in the same game.

The 28-year-old then sat out of the 2-0 win over Brentford at the weekend. 

Speaking in his press conference, Slot provided an update on Jota and defender Joe Gomez, who injured his hamstring against West Ham in December.

‘Maybe Jota [will be back] a bit earlier than Joe,’ said Slot. ‘Both of them are expected to be back with us in weeks rather than months.

Slot will be without Jota after he suffered a muscle problem against Nottingham Forest

Jota has made 19 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring eight goals

‘But I’ve said many times before that the last stage of rehab is the most difficult one, or the one that sometimes [can] add a few days or not. It’s clear that we are expecting them to be back with us in the upcoming weeks.

‘It is always difficult to say exactly how long it is. Both of them are not going to be out for months, that’s for sure, as long as the rehab goes as planned.’

On Jota specifically, he added: ‘He overloaded a certain muscle a bit.’

Luis Diaz was given the nod as a makeshift No 9 against Brentford but Darwin Nunez was introduced off the bench to devastating effect, scoring twice in three minutes in stoppage time to seal a crucial victory for the table toppers. 

Slot has backed Nunez to deputise for Jota over the coming weeks.

‘I don’t think it’s the first time that [Nunez] in a situation like this,’ said Slot.

‘Even this season he’s been in a situation like it. Jota has been out when in the Chelsea game someone hit him so hard that he was out for five, six, seven, eight weeks, I think. So that was a similar moment.

‘And I know from the past that he’s had long run-off games with Jurgen (Klopp) as well. But he is probably in a good place now because he scored two. 

The attacker ‘overloaded’ a muscle after scoring in the 1-1 draw at the City Ground

Darwin Nunez was introduced to devastating effect against Brentford and netted twice

‘And so, yeah, of course it’s simple.

‘At the moment we’ve got four attackers that are top fit and able to start the game. And Darwin is one of them.’

Jota has made 19 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring eight goals.