The injury to Liverpool star Diogo Jota raises a big concern for Arne Slot amid tough games in fixture congestion. Slot has used Jota as the first-choice number nine ahead of Darwin Nunez during the start of the current season.
The 27-year-old has lived up to the new head coach’s faith by displaying his clinical ability in front of goal. Jota’s finishing is only second to prolific Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah and the Portuguese has played an important impact role.
The Kopites adore the 27-year-old for his incredible match-winning prowess but certain shortcomings continue to haunt the Portugal international’s place. Despite working hard at the frontline, Jota has struggled to contribute to his team’s overall play with linkups and buildup.
Furthermore, the 27-year-old has struggled with nagging injuries since Liverpool signed him from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2020. Jota has missed 81 games in the last four seasons, only having the 2021-22 season where he missed less than 10 games.
The 27-year-old has scored 60 goals and provided 21 assists from 155 appearances for Liverpool in the last four seasons. Jota’s recurring injuries and performance issues overshadow his impressive contributions and prevent him from becoming a regular.
Furthermore, the Portugal international is already in the middle of the peak year of his career, earning £140,000 per week. The Portuguese international’s current contract expires after three years when he reaches 30 years of age.
However, the situation could drastically change as Liverpool continues to suffer with the unreliability of Jota in terms of availability. According to BBC, Liverpool will play without the Portuguese international at least until after the November international break. Liverpool are facing several tough opponents during this crucial period as the games come quickly and fast.
Slot will play Nunez extensively during this period as the Reds face Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid and Manchester United before the hectic December period arrives. Liverpool cannot afford to continue to rely on a single player to play as the number nine.
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At the same time, asking Slot to drastically change the system in some games is an undesirable outcome when the Reds are paying hefty wages. While the season is long, the patience will gradually decrease as Jota ages and if he continues to struggle like this.
