Arne Slot now shares what exactly has happened to £45m Liverpool player after missing training today

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Liverpool face LOSC Lille this week in the UEFA Champions League, with Diogo Jota set to miss the fixture for the Reds.

The Portuguese international was missing from Liverpool’s open training session today with Jota and Joe Gomez the only two players absent, with Arne Slot almost having a fully fit squad for the first time all season.

With Liverpool considering selling Jota due to the attacker’s injury problems, the former Wolves man is now under unwanted pressure by the Reds to return to fitness as soon as possible and to shape off these issues that have plagued the forward’s career at Anfield in the last two seasons.

And Slot has now shared what exactly has happened to Jota to cause this latest setback.

Jota out injured for Liverpool due to an ‘overloaded’ muscle

Speaking to the press ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League tie against Lille, Slot admitted that Jota have ‘overloaded’ a certain muscle, with the Liverpool manager saying: “He’s overloaded a certain muscle a little bit.”

With Jota’s injury problems becoming a real cause of concern for the Reds this season, the Portuguese international suffering yet another setback is the last thing Liverpool fans wanted to see heading into another busy part of the season.

Indeed, Jota’s absence will allow the likes of Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa to play more minutes for Liverpool, a potential boost for Slot to give attackers who haven’t featured that much this season to learn and adapt to the Dutchman’s system.

Yet for Jota, suffering another injury blow could be damaging for the attacker’s future at Liverpool, with patience likely to wain heading towards the end of the season and into the summer transfer window, where a tempting offer from a club for the forward could turn the Anfield side’s head.

Should Liverpool actually consider selling Jota this year?

With Shaun Wright-Phillips recently lauding Jota for his ability to finish off chances despite his physical stature, Liverpool found a real gem in the Portuguese international and his unique skillset that has led to the forward becoming a true asset in recent years.

However, with Jota’s injury problems becoming a real nuisance for Liverpool and their attacking options, Slot and his transfer team could be tempted to sell the former Wolves man if a good enough offer comes in during the summer.

2025 is shaping up to be a transformative year for Liverpool’s squad, and replacing Jota with a younger and more robust forward could be a good decision for the Reds heading into this new era under Slot.