Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Arne Slot made an injury admission on Diogo Jota in the aftermath of the 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday evening.

The Portuguese international’s 2024-25 campaign has been defined by repeated injury setbacks, with the Liverpool forward missing 16 competitive matches to date due to three separate fitness issues.

Despite his proven clinical efficiency – contributing to seven goals in just 13 league appearances – the Portuguese international’s inability to maintain consistent availability has unfortunately led to scrutiny over his long-term viability at Anfield.

Slot’s recent decision to cautiously reintegrate Jota, including starts against Aston Villa and Wolves before withdrawing him early, seems to now have backfired.

What did Arne Slot say about Diogo Jota?

Speaking on the 28-year-old at the Etihad, the Dutchman revealed that Jota told him that he had not fully recovered from Aston Villa:

“First of all Diogo Jota told me yesterday that he wasn’t fully recovered yet, so he couldn’t start,” the Dutchman admitted to LFCTV after the game.

“Cody Gakpo only trained for the first time yesterday, so that means two attacking options less.”

“And I felt if you play away at City you have to defend a lot.

So, some extra legs with a midfielder was then the decision we made.

“We wanted to play with two wingers because if you always defend you have no choice,” Slot explained.

“So to have two wingers who are fast who we can play the ball in behind to always gives us an opportunity to create and then we have extra players to win the second ball?

I think it worked out quite well.”

The pattern mirrors Jota’s injury history since joining Liverpool in 2020, having now missed 96 matches through 14 separate injuries according to club records.

The hope is that he is just suffering from fatigue from a stop-start season and not a fresh injury worry

We should get a more concrete update in Arne Slot’s pre-Newcastle United press conference on Tuesday morning.

Read More: How Liverpool dismantled Man City

Want to get the latest Liverpool news direct to your phone
For more news relating to Manchester City, visit our sister site City Latest Live.