Liverpool's plans to win a historic quadruple of trophies have taken a massive blow with the news that Diogo Jota picked up an injury in their UEFA Champions League win over Inter on Feb. 16.
The Portuguese forward made it through the first half but was replaced for the second by Roberto Firmino, who scored the Reds' first goal in a 2-0 win.
After the match Jota was spotted on crutches
Jota, 25, has scored 17 goals in all competitions so far this season — and his injury and possible absence may well give opponents Chelsea a boost ahead of the Carabao Cup final at Wembley next Sunday.
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Jota has been pictured on crutches. pic.twitter.com/E3unQXu5co
— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) February 17, 2022
What is Diogo Jota's injury?
Jota twisted his ankle in the first half of the Champions League match against Inter.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed in his post-match press conference that Jota's ankle was swollen at half-time, forcing the substitution.
"We need further assessment. It's something with some ligaments around the ankle. But not that ligament, some others," Klopp told media. "Pretty much everything is possible at the moment."
Diogo Jota is definitely ruled out of Saturday's match with Norwich City, but we await further detail on the extent of his ankle injury.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 18, 2022
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When will Diogo Jota be fit to play again?
Klopp did not give any further details about the severity of Jota's injury, which will require further examination. Depending on the severity of the injury, even a minor ankle tweak could take up to two weeks to heal, while a more serious one could be a matter of one or two months.
The Liverpool manager did not indicate he had any insight into the extent of the damage. He went out of his way to note that the protective boot that Jota was seen wearing was a standard precaution when the team arrived back in England.
He will miss out on the Feb. 19 Premier League match against Norwich City and is expected to also be forced to sit out the Feb. 23 midweek fixture against Leeds United. Liverpool is then scheduled to play Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Feb. 27.
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Diogo Jota's goals for Liverpool
Jota signed for Liverpool in September 2020, joining for around $56 million from Wolves.
For some time he was a squad player, behind Mo Salah and Sadio Mane in the pecking order, but he really came into his own when the first-choice pair were absent at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Portuguese international has 17 goals in 32 matches for Liverpool, scoring in all four competitive fronts for the Reds. He's the second-leading scorer in the Premier League with 12 tallies in 23 league appearances.
His brace against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg steered the Reds through to their Wembley date with Chelsea.