Liverpool are expected to welcome Portuguese forward Diogo Jota back to training this week, over two months after he picked up a knee injury.
Jota enjoyed an electric start to his Liverpool career following his £41m move from Wolverhampton Wanderers, firing home nine goals in his first 17 appearances in all competitions, with just ten of those coming as starts.
His final start came in the Champions League tie against Midtjylland, during which he picked up the nasty knee injury which has sidelined him since. Many have insisted that the forward's absence is at least partly to blame for Liverpool's post-Christmas difficulties in front of goal.
Well, it's good news for those supporters as The Telegraph state that Jota is expected to return to full training on Wednesday as he enters the final stage of his recovery.
Jota is not likely to make his return on the pitch for another few weeks, with Liverpool hesitant to rush him back and risk doing any more damage. Instead, the meeting with Chelsea on March 4 has been earmarked as a potential return date.
Another day. Another step closer.. pic.twitter.com/VwW6UWJsfr
— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) February 22, 2021
Jurgen Klopp will be delighted to see Jota close to a return to action. His side are on a run of seven defeats in their last 12 games, during which they have failed to find the back of the net in five matches, so welcoming Jota back into the fold will hopefully help on that front.
Injury updates Fabinho, Naby Keita and James Milner
The boss will also hope to welcome both Fabinho and James Milner back to training in the coming days, having admitted that both players were getting closer in the build-up to Saturday's Merseyside derby, in which neither featured.
Adding to the positivity, Naby Keita is back in the first-team picture after a spell out with an ankle injury, and while Klopp will obviously be ecstatic about that, he is still dealing with the frustration of Jordan Henderson's recent groin injury.
The midfielder, who has been filling it at centre-back to help with injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Fabinho, fears he may be set for over a month on the sidelines because of this latest issue, which will leave Liverpool's defence stretched for a little while longer.
Klopp still has Ozan Kabak, Ben Davies, Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams at his disposal, while Fabinho is expected to join in the fun soon enough.
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Source : 90min