Liverpool handed major injury blow ahead of Carabao Cup final

The Reds will have to play without one of their key forwards against Chelsea.

Diogo Jota picked up an ankle injury during the first half of Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Inter on Wednesday. Jurgen Klopp replaced the forward with Roberto Firmino, who went on to score the opener for the Reds.

The German manager downplayed initial fears over Jota’s injury. However, a new report claims Jota’s stay on the sidelines might take longer than expected.

According to Mirror, the player has undergone scans on Thursday. The English source claims the results have dampened the initial optimism toward the extent of the injury.

Jota will reportedly miss Liverpool’s upcoming game against Norwich. His presence in the Reds’ Carabao Cup final against Chelsea, however, remains unclear.

Liverpool’s medical staff are racing against time to complete Jota’s recovery ahead of the Wembley showpiece. However, as we have seen many times with ankle issues, a relapse might make the injury worse.

Jota has bounced back from his injury-hit debut campaign this season. The absence of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, due to playing in AFCON, provided Jota with more playing time.

The Portuguese star has scored 17 goals in his 31 appearances across all competitions this season. His latest goals came in his side’s 2-0 win over Leicester City on February 10, when he scored Liverpool’s both goals.