Jurgen Klopp praises Diogo Jota and hails his mental strength after latest injury setback
Late into Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Manchester City, Diogo Jota saw himself stretchered off the pitch due to a calf issue. Sadly for the Portuguese international, he cannot recover in time for the World Cup later next month.
In terms of injuries, this season has not been great for the former Wolves striker. He had already missed a major chunk of the start of the season due to a hamstring issue and as he was settling back into the squad after that lay-off, he woefully picked up this calf injury against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Yet to score a goal this season, Jota has five assists from eight appearances this season, including three in a single game against Rangers in the UEFA Champions League wherein he assisted all three of Mohamed Salah’s goals.
Speaking of the 25-year-old striker’s mental strength, here is what gaffer Jurgen Klopp told liverpoolfc.com:
“When I saw him yesterday on crutches and he wanted to shake my hand, I had to give him a hug. I said, ‘It’s more for me than for you, to be honest’ because it’s a shame, the whole thing: how it happened, that it happened, when it happened, all these kind of things.
“But he is incredibly strong, it’s unbelievable. He is a role model in that. He really takes it like it is: ‘You cannot change it anymore, so let’s work from here.”
Dismay for Diogo
Calling him a “tough cookie”, the gaffer cited him as a role model when it comes to mental strength and has spoke about the club providing him with all kinds of support during this difficult phase.
Ever since joining the club in 2020, Jota has been one of the most clinical players for the Reds and has 34 goals and 14 assists in 93 appearances across all competitions. The gaffer, in the hope that there is a positive development in the rehab phase for Jota, has not given a fixed date for his return.
The sadder news though is the fact that he cannot feature in the World Cup for Portugal because of the injury. It is a huge honour for any player to represent their nation at the highest level, and Jota will have to wait for another four years before the opportunity comes his way.
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In his absence, Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez can play through the central channel, and even Mohamed Salah at times. While each player brings in a different dynamic, Jota’s energy and eye for goal will be missed.
