Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Diogo Jota will miss the rest of Liverpool's season with a foot injury.
Jota has proved to be a smart addition since arriving at Anfield in the summer. He got off to an electric start, netting five goals in his first 10 Premier League games, before picking up a knee injury in December that kept him sidelined for over two months.
He returned to first team action in March but has now suffered another fitness blow. He was taken off with 15 minutes to play in his side's 4-2 win at Manchester United after suffering a foot injury and it has now been confirmed that the knock will sideline him for the remainder of the campaign.
Prior to taking on West Brom at The Hawthorns, Klopp said (via the club's official website): “No good thing without a bad thing – so, we won at Manchester United but Diogo got something with the bone.
“Not too serious but serious enough to end the season. That’s it.”
News of Jota's absence continues the trend of Liverpool injuries this season, with the Reds forced to play long periods of the campaign without many key players. The talismanic Virgil van Dijk, along with fellow defenders Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, have undergone lengthy absences, as have Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and several others.
Despite their injury woes, the Reds still have a chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League. Provided they win their remaining three games against West Brom, Burnley and Crystal Palace, they are likely to finish in the top four at the expense of either Leicester City or Chelsea -
who are playing each other on Tuesday.
With Jota sidelined, it's an opportunity for Sadio Mane to show his manager that he's up for fighting for his place. The Senegalese international caused controversy in the aftermath of Liverpoo's win against United by refusing to bump fists with Klopp, though the German has played down the significance of the incident.
Source: 90min
