Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has admitted that he asked to be subbed off for Portugal last night.
Jota played 78 minutes for his country in their 1-0 loss against Spain. But speaking to O Jogo after the match, the Liverpool man said he was starting to feel the effects of missing pre-season.
“I didn’t have a pre-season, it’s just my second game as a starter this season, and I already felt a bit tired in the final part where I was on the pitch,” Jota said.
The loss, courtesy of a late Alvaro Morata goal, meant that Portugal missed out on a final-four place in this year’s Nations League.
Jota takes charge of his own recovery
Jota reportedly played very well for Portugal during last night’s game. Although he didn’t manage a goal, the £45m man is said to have been a livewire all night.
That bodes well for Liverpool. A fit and firing Jota can make such a difference as the Reds look to get their season back on track.
In that respect, it’s pleasing to hear the 25-year-old listening to his body. After missing two months or so of action, he can’t afford to push himself too hard.
As well as being a bitter blow to Liverpool, any set-back now would likely put his World Cup place in jeopardy, too. Having fought his way into a Portugal squad packed with talent, Jota would be devastated to miss out now.
Thankfully, it looks like the player is actively minimising the risk of that happening. Liverpool will benefit because of that.
Jota will now head back to Liverpool to prepare for Saturday’s game with Brighton. Jurgen Klopp has all five of his attacking options available to him after an international break. The manager will be delighted.
Along with Jota, Darwin Nunez also played, and scored, last night. Both forwards took part in both of their country’s fixtures, as did Luis Diaz.
Mohamed Salah was given a rest having scored twice against Niger last week. Meanwhile, Roberto Firmino was an unused substitute in both of Brazil’s friendly games. Whether this all factors into Klopp’s team selection for Saturday, we’ll soon find out.
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