Arne Slot reveals when he’s really expecting Diogo Jota to return from injury for Liverpool
Liverpool will look to head into the international break on top of the Premier League table as they prepare to host Aston Villa at Anfield.
The Reds have won 14 out of 16 games in all competitions under Arne Slot and are coming on the back of a 4-0 thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League.
The game against Unai Emery’s side promises to be an exciting contest between two teams in good form currently.
And Slot has provided an injury update on Diogo Jota ahead of the crunch Premier League clash as the Portuguese forward continues to remain on the sidelines.
Arne Slot expects Diogo Jota to return after international break for Liverpool
Jota hasn’t featured for Liverpool after being substituted in the 2-1 win against Chelsea.
He was kicked in his ribs by Tosin Adarabioyo in what was a rash challenge by the Clehsea defender but tried to carry on. However, moments later, he was withdrawn as Darwin Nunez came on in his place.
Slot believes Jota will return shortly after the international break, although he didn’t put an exact time frame or speak about the nature of his injury.
“We expect him back after the break. The first weeks after the break” said Slot at a press conference ahead of the clash against Aston Villa.
“I always say there is privacy about the injury. He will be back one or two weeks after the break.”
Jota’s stats this season
Since signing for Liverpool for £45m in the summer of 2020, the Portuguese international has produced the goods consistently but has struggled with injuries.
This season, he was chosen to lead the line by Slot before his injury as performed fairly well with four goals in all competitions.
| Diogo Jota stats 2024-25 | Apps | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Mins played |
| Premier League | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 497′ |
| UEFA Champions League | 2 | – | – | – | 97′ |
| EFL Cup | 1 | 2 | – | – | 59′ |
However, the likes of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz – who scored a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen as a number nine – have done well in his absence, so Liverpool can afford to take their time with Jota’s comeback.
The Liverpool boss didn’t put a clear time frame on his return, which is an indication that he’s facing a race against time to prove his fitness ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash against Real Madrid shortly after the international break.
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