LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, October 16, 2022: Liverpool's Diogo Jota is carried off injured on a stretcher during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool journalist reveals expected return date for Diogo Jota

Diogo Jota has been sidelined since sustaining a serious calf injury in Liverpool’s win over Man City in October, and a potential return date has now been set.

The Portugal forward only returned to full fitness in September, having missed the Reds’ entire pre-season schedule with a hamstring injury he picked up on international duty at the end of last season.

And Jota was just getting into his stride when he was struck down by another injury problem at the very end of Liverpool’s victory over Pep Guardiola’s side.

Days later, Jurgen Klopp described Jota’s calf issue as a “serious injury,” with the 25-year-old missing out on a place at the World Cup as a result.

Now, The Athletic‘s Liverpool reporter James Pearce has claimed that Jota is likely to return to action “in late January or February.”

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 13, 2022: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (C) celebrates with team-mate Diogo Jota (R) after scoring the first goal during the UEFA Champions League Group A matchday 2 game between Liverpool FC and AFC Ajax at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

That would mean he would have been out of action for more than three, if not four months, by the time he has recovered.

The most recent update on Jota that we’ve heard from Liverpool came from Pep Lijnders during his media duties last week.

When discussing injuries, he simply said Jota “would take longer” to recover than Luis Diaz, who is expected to be ready to return to action when the squad reconvene after the World Cup.

Pearce claims that Diaz, Naby Keita and Joel Matip should be “fully fit and raring to go” for Liverpool’s mid-season training camp in Dubai at the start of December.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 13, 2022: Liverpool's Luis Díaz and Trent Alexander-Arnold line-up before the UEFA Champions League Group A matchday 2 game between Liverpool FC and AFC Ajax at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Arthur is another of Liverpool’s long-term absentees, with Klopp explaining how the Brazilian’s muscle injury is “really serious” at the end of last month.

He too is not expected to be available for some time, while there is hope that Kaide Gordon, who has been out since February with various fitness issues, will be available in the new year.

As such a valuable member of Klopp’s attack, it’s a real shame that Jota is highly unlikely to be ready when the Premier League campaign resumes after Christmas.

Let’s hope that when he does return, he’s put his injury problems behind him once and for all.