Photo: What Diogo Jota was spotted doing in Liverpool training on Friday ahead of Southampton clash
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Liverpool have some lingering injury problems to contend with as they prepare to face Southampton on Sunday.
The Reds have the chance to maintain – or potentially extend – their five point lead at the top of the Premier League, depending on Man City’s result against Tottenham on Saturday.
With their opponents sitting bottom of the table, Liverpool are heavy favourites to pick up another three points on the South Coast.
Nevertheless, the Liverpool squad is not without its fitness issues at the moment.
Arne Slot confirmed the Liverpool injury news during his press conference on Friday, part of which was declaring that Diogo Jota is not yet back to fitness.
Jota is not expected to be ready to face Real Madrid on Wednesday either. However, the Portuguese forward was intriguingly spotted in training on Friday nonetheless.
Diogo Jota spotted in Liverpool training
Jota had been doing so well fitness-wise up until the point Tosin Adarabioyo brought him down then landed on him during October’s match against Chelsea.
That signalled yet another frustrating injury problem in a Liverpool career which has been littered with them for Jota.
Thankfully, it does not seem as though the 27-year-old is all that far away now, though.
As seen during LFCTV’s Inside Training video on Friday, Jota was exercising in the gym with the rest of his Liverpool teammates.
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Working opposite Cody Gakpo on the training bands, the Portugal international was seemingly just a regular part of the group.
Jota did not then appear to be involved in further fitness work as the Reds moved to the indoor pitches, though.
And while Diogo was then seen booting up with his teammates as they moved outside, the No.20 did not look to have joined in with any of the outdoor group session.
When will Diogo Jota be back?
Given that Federico Chiesa completed much of the session for Liverpool on Friday, it looks like the Italian is further along than Jota in his recovery.
Slot did not rule Chiesa out of the Madrid tie as he did for Jota, but it’s also true that the Liverpool head coach had been asked about the Portugal international, Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold specifically.
Liverpool obviously play Man City straight after Madrid, although Slot gave no indication as to whether he was hoping to have Jota available for that one.
Judging by what we can see here, it seems likely that the former Wolves man will not be quite ready for City in a week’s time.
As a result, we’d probably pencil in the game against Newcastle on Wednesday, December the 4th as a potential return date for Diogo.
