Liverpool are yet to discover the extent of the injury Diogo Jota suffered against Man City, but there are fears that he could now miss the World Cup.
Jota picked up a calf injury late on in Sunday’s 1-0 win at Anfield, following an influential display that saw him win more tackles and create more chances than any other player.
The Portuguese required treatment on the pitch, and was eventually stretchered off, with Jurgen Klopp describing the situation as “not good.”
“After 96 minutes that is not good for a muscle,” he told reporters.
“He felt it immediately and now we have to wait [to see] how bad it is.”
The forward is now due to undergo initial scans on Monday, but The Athletic‘s David Ornstein reports that those within the club already fear a “serious injury.”
“His hopes of representing his country at the World Cup in Qatar are in doubt,” Ornstein adds.
Though Liverpool will wait until they receive the results of their tests, this would suggest it is bad news for their No. 20.
If Jota is set to miss the World Cup, that would also rule him out of at least the next eight games at club level, adding to a mounting injury list for Klopp.
Luis Diaz is already sidelined with a knee injury until after the tournament, with Jota having shifted to the left wing to fill in for the Colombian.
Naby Keita and Arthur are long-term absentees, while Ibrahima Konate sat out against City, though Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has recently returned to training and Calvin Ramsay is not far off.
Curtis Jones also made the bench for the first time since August on Sunday, and could potentially be an option to start on the left flank along with Fabio Carvalho.
Whether Jota’s injury prompts another change in formation remains to be seen, but Klopp should still have enough personnel to retain his new 4-4-2 setup despite the loss of two key forwards.
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