Liverpool’s injury crisis continues to deepen, with the latest casualty being star striker Diogo Jota. The Portuguese forward was forced off the pitch after just 30 minutes of Sunday’s Premier League victory over Chelsea, adding to an already extensive list of absentees ahead of their crucial Champions League clash against RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
Jota’s injury comes as a blow to Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who is already dealing with a number of key players sidelined. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker, forward Federico Chiesa, and midfielder Harvey Elliott are all missing due to injury and did not travel to Germany for the match. Additionally, right back Conor Bradley missed the Chelsea match entirely due to injury and is also unavailable for the Leipzig game.
Slot expressed his concern over the growing injury list, highlighting the difficulties it presents for the team’s preparations. “Conor Bradley, Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa, and Alisson didn’t make the trip, so we have a few issues at the moment,” Slot told reporters. “Diogo got a knock when he was trying to go to goal; he was brought down, but the other player fell on to him, and that hurt him. He couldn’t continue to play and come with us. It is difficult to judge at this moment to see how long it’s going to take.”
Liverpool has enjoyed a perfect start to their Champions League campaign, winning both of their opening fixtures. However, Wednesday’s opponents, Leipzig, have had a more challenging start, losing their first two matches in the new-look competition. Despite Leipzig’s struggles, Slot remains cautious, emphasizing that it’s still early in the tournament to draw definitive conclusions.
“The concept of the Champions League (as far as) I got my head around it — I don’t think you can have a fair opinion yet because we are only two games into the Champions League now,” Slot said. “We’ve to wait and see what the result of this format is and you can only judge that after the group stages are done.”
Liverpool’s injury crisis presents a significant test of their squad depth as they look to maintain their strong start in the Champions League. With several key players unavailable, Slot will need to rely on his squad’s resilience and adaptability to overcome the challenges posed by Leipzig.
