Diogo Jota return date as Liverpool learn extent of injury blow

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Diogo Jota will not play for Liverpool before the November international break with the forward set to miss a crucial run of fixtures due to injury.

Arne Slot confirmed the Portugal international will remain sidelined for the trip to Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, as well as the Premier League clash against the Seagulls this weekend.

Liverpool then host Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa at Anfield but Jota is not expected to return until the Reds travel to Southampton on November 24 after picking up a knock early in the win over Chelsea.

Alisson Becker, Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa also remain out but Conor Bradley could be fit to face Brighton.

“Conor is training with us again so he could maybe be in the squad tomorrow. Jota not, Alisson not, Harvey Elliott not, and Federico, I’m not expecting him to be in the squad tomorrow as well,” Slot said on Tuesday.

Despite Liverpool’s run of fixtures, Slot does not think he will make wholesale changes to his side against Brighton as his squad feels the pinch of recent injuries.

Slot made nine changes to his team in the previous round against West Ham but suggested he could select a similar team that battled to a 2-2 draw against Arsenal on Sunday.

“I don’t think it’s possible to do the same as we did against West Ham for the simple reason that we got some injuries, so we don’t have maybe enough players to change them all if I wanted that,” he said.

“We played against Arsenal on Sunday, yesterday was mostly recovery for everyone, so today when they come in – and they have to come in as we speak – we will find out how they all are and then we have to make a decision on who is going to start.

“But I think if you look at our schedule and the amount of times that we have less days to recover compared to our opponent – that’s not [the case] on Saturday because we play Brighton tomorrow, but Brighton played on Saturday and with [Bayer] Leverkusen it’s the same, they play Friday, we play Saturday – it might be a moment for us to also see some other players.

“But like I said I first have to know how fit everybody is.”