Liverpool forward, Diogo Jota, will miss Portugal’s international friendly with the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the 2022 Qatar World Cup after suffering a calf muscle injury.
This was confirmed in a statement released on Liverpool’s website on Tuesday.
Portugal will face the Super Eagles on November 17 as part of preparation for this year’s World Cup.
The 2016 European champions will then open their World Cup campaign against Ghana seven days after the game with Nigeria before facing Uruguay and South Korea in group H.
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Jota was carried from the pitch in stoppage time during Sunday’s Premier League clash with Manchester City which the Reds won 1-0.
He will subsequently miss Liverpool’s remaining eight fixtures prior to the international break in November, as well as his country’s participation in the Qatar finals.
The statement from Liverpool read: “Diogo Jota is set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines due to the calf muscle injury he sustained against Manchester City on Sunday, which will also rule him out of Portugal’s World Cup campaign.
“Jota does not require surgery on the issue, however.”
Offering an update at his pre-West Ham United press conference, Jürgen Klopp confirmed: “It’s really not good news about Diogo. Yes, he will miss the World Cup. [It’s a] pretty serious injury in the calf muscle and now the recovery process starts. That’s it pretty much.
“That is the first diagnosis, which was pretty clear, and all the rest will now follow in the next few days.
“It is very sad news for the boy, and for us as well of course [and] for Portugal.”
Klopp did not put a timescale on Jota’s return to action, adding: “[It will have a] big impact. So now we can say that because he will not be in for a long time; we talk about months.
“So, we will see. I don’t want to put now a number on it because I always hope in the middle of the rehab there is a very positive development and we can cut days off the rehab phase, but it will be long.”
4 Comments
Just friendly match, Nigeria go hype am. Imagine they qualified for the mundial. The Portuguese won’t take this match seriously, they wouldn’t want any casualties before the world cup.
You Ghanaians are too jealous and evil @Top, or whatever you call yourself. Ghanaweb and other Ghana channels were celebrating Diego Jota’s injury even before the type of injury was diagnosed that it will cost him a place in the Portuguese team, who Ghana will open their group matches with.
And here you are making flimsy excuses so that if Nigeria beat or draw with Portugal on 17th Nov, and they beat Ghana, you will now make excuses that Portugal did not take their match with Nigeria because its a “friendly” match. Typical of Ghana of inferiority complex in any competition.
Don’t mind them they are evil with Jota or no Jota they will still collect
Tell me who’s evil here, you Nigerians are supporting Europe to destroy Africa your home, how evil could you be. If Ghanaians are happy Jota is injured is it wrong? Who doesn’t want to explore his opponent’s weakness. The more the weaker the better, that is not evil. It’s called competition!