Liverpool's plans to win their historic quadruple trophies have been dealt a major blow after news that Diogo Jota suffered an injury in their UEFA Champions League win over Inter on 16 February.
The Portuguese forward made it through in the first half but second place was taken by Roberto Firmino, who scored the Reds' first goal in a 2–0 victory.
Jota was seen on crutches after the match
Jota, 25, has scored 17 goals in all competitions so far this season - and his injury and potential absence could boost opponents Chelsea ahead of the Carabao Cup final at Wembley next Sunday.
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 at a post-match press conference that Jota had a swollen ankle at half-time, forcing a replacement.
"We need more assessment. It's something to do with some of the ligaments around the ankle. But it's not a ligament, something else," Klopp told the media. "A lot 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
When will Diogo Jota be fit to play again?
Klopp did not provide further details on the severity of Jota's injury, which would require further investigation. Depending on the severity of the injury, even a minor flexion of the ankle can take up to two weeks to heal, while a more severe one may take a month or two.
The Liverpool manager did not indicate that he had any knowledge of the extent of the damage. He went out of his way to note that the protective boot Jota was seen wearing was a standard precaution when the team returned to England.
He will be ruled out of the Premier League match against Norwich City on 19 February and is expected to be forced to sit out of the February 23 midweek fixture against Leeds United. After this, Liverpool have to play Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on 27 February.
Diogo Jota's goals for Liverpool
Jota signed for Liverpool in September 2020, joining Wolves for around $56 million.
For a 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 was absent in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Scoring in all four competitive fronts for the Reds, the Portuguese international has 17 goals in 32 appearances for Liverpool. He is the second leading scorer in the Premier League with a tally of 12 in 23 league matches.
His brace against Arsenal in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final saw the Reds reach Wembley's date with Chelsea.