Diogo Jota likely to miss Liverpool’s trip to Leipzig due to injury

Liverpool’s win over Chelsea on Sunday may have come at a price, with Arne Slot’s injury list having grown after that fixture.

Alisson Becker, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott were already sidelined, and Diogo Jota limped off after half an hour at Anfield yesterday, while Conor Bradley missed the game due to a knock that he picked up while away with Northern Ireland last week.

Liverpool hit by fresh injury concerns

The Athletic’s James Pearce took to X after the match on Sunday with an update on Liverpool’s injury situation ahead of their Champions League clash away to RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

The journalist posted: “Arne Slot expects Diogo Jota to miss Champions League trip to Leipzig. Conor Bradley was absent today after picking up a knock on international duty.”

Arne Slot expects Diogo Jota to miss Champions League trip to Leipzig.
Conor Bradley was absent today after picking up a knock on international duty. #LFC https://t.co/Q281Bb63sD

— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) October 20, 2024

Not ideal ahead of two fiendish fixtures

Liverpool have definitely had worse injury crises (think back to last season), but this update still comes as an unwelcome one just 48 hours out from a tricky European fixture away to a team who are in flying form domestically.

Bradley might yet be fine to make the trip to Germany if he’s shaken off the body blow which precluded him from being involved yesterday, and in any case he probably wouldn’t be in the starting XI, particularly after Trent Alexander-Arnold gave such a strong defensive performance against Chelsea.

The probable absence of Jota could be more problematic as he’d have been a likely starter, although Darwin Nunez had an encouraging 60-minute outing at the weekend and can be trusted to step in for the Portugal forward on Wednesday night.

The hope is that the former Wolves attacker will be back to face Arsenal next Sunday, not just because of the huge importance of the fixture but also due to his record against the Gunners (eight goals; he’s only scored against one other club more often).

The 27-year-old’s probable absence at the Red Bull Arena isn’t what anyone would’ve wanted, but there’s comfort in knowing that we have very good backup to call upon if required.