Liverpool head coach Arne Slot reveals concerns about the fitness of Diogo Jota after his heroic Anfield return against Fulham. Jota scored a late equalizer for Liverpool to earn a hard-fought point for the team against the West London club.
The Reds ended the game 2-2 after playing with 10 men since Andy Robertson’s red card in the 17th minute. Liverpool mustered a strong second-half response and dominated despite the numerical disadvantage but conceded a 76th-minute goal from Rodrigo Muniz.
As Liverpool faced a daunting task against Fulham with the time running out, Slot brought Jota in the 79th minute. The 28-year-old proved why he is the second-best finisher at Liverpool by clinically finishing a chance made by Darwin Nunez.
According to Squawka Live (via X), Jota took 22 touches while completing 10 out of 13 passes in 12 minutes. The Portugal international had six touches in the opposition box and won five duels for the Reds during his cameo.
Jota enjoyed 100% successful take-ons (three), created two chances and had two shots along with his late equalizing Liverpool goal. Jota missed 53 days due to the muscle injury he suffered on 20th October against Chelsea in the Premier League. The 28-year-old missed 13 games in all competitions, limiting Liverpool to a restricted number-nine options at a crucial stage.
Jota has missed 94 games since joining the Reds in the 2020-21 season as the nagging injuries outweighed his qualities. The Portuguese’s injuries make him very unreliable for the season-long campaign with the fanbase hoping that he could remain fit.
Liverpool stars Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez are the two number nine options at the club right now.
Liverpool stars Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez are the two number-nine options at the club right now.
Jota’s reliability depends on his fitness as his quality remains unquestionable
Jota’s incredible finishing and on-the-ball qualities have endeared him with the Kopites during his tenure with the club. However, they are struggling with the unreliability within the two number nines at the club as Nunez struggles with finishing.
While Nunez has a better overall playing presence than Jota, the Uruguayan is nowhere near his Portuguese forward in terms of finishing. Nunez created the assist for Jota’s equalizer which shows that both players have their respective importance at the club.
The heatmap and Sofascore rating of Liverpool star Diogo Jota against Fulham during the 2-2 draw. (Credit: Sofascore)
The heatmap and Sofascore rating of Liverpool star Diogo Jota against Fulham during the 2-2 draw. (Credit: Sofascore)
However, Slot needs to manage the game time of the Portuguese international despite the requirement of his immense finishing talents. Speaking to the media before the Southampton game in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals (via YouTube), Slot revealed that Jota remains unfit to start the game for Liverpool. He said:
“Diogo would have been definitely one that it was ideal for him to play, but after the [Fulham] game he wasn’t completely fit, so he didn’t train with us yesterday. Let’s see if he can train with us today. Don’t expect him to start. Hopefully, he can make some minutes, but don’t expect him to start tomorrow.”
Liverpool are at the top of the Premier League as they continue to challenge for other trophies as well. The margin of error is too small for them to have any regret about the fitness of a particular player.
While the fans hope that their lethal Portuguese finisher can avoid any further injuries this campaign, the club needs reliability. There is a potential of adding a number nine during the January transfer window.
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Jota’s importance becomes evident whenever he makes his heroic return and starts scoring crucial goals. As things stand, we have no other option but to hope that he remains reliable and available for the rest of the campaign.