Liverpool and Portugal attacker Diogo Jota is reportedly at risk of missing the 2022 World Cup after picking up a calf injury in Sunday's win over Manchester City. Jota started alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino in the final third against the champions, where a second-half goal from Salah propelled the Reds to a 1-0 triumph in a fiery encounter. The game ended on a sour note for the home crowd, though, as Jota had to be taken off on a stretcher deep into second-half injury time to add to their ongoing fitness woes.
Jurgen Klopp did not have any positive news to share on Jota's condition in his post-match press conference, telling reporters: "Diogo, I wish I wouldn't have to talk about it. I saw it on the side of the screen, I am the first who saw it. "When I saw he goes down and there was not a lot of contacts, you can see a little bit that somebody kicks his foot and maybe the muscle got overstretched, 96 minutes, that's not good for the muscle. He felt it immediately and now we have to wait to see how bad it is."
According to The Athletic, there are now fears that Jota's injury is serious enough to end his World Cup hopes, and he will undergo a scan on Monday to determine the severity of the problem in his right calf. Portugal will be taking on South Korea, Uruguay, and Ghana in Group H in Qatar, kicking off their bid for World Cup glory against the African nation on November 24. Jota has been an ever-present in the Portugal setup for the past couple of years and has now earned 28 caps for his country, scoring 10 goals and setting up nine more in the process.
The 25-year-old missed the first few weeks of the 2022-23 season due to a hamstring injury and has only made eight appearances in all tournaments so far, registering five assists but failing to find the back of the net. Liverpool's treatment room is already well-occupied amid the packed autumn schedule, with Jota being kept the company in the infirmary by fellow attacker Luis Diaz, who may not feature for Liverpool again before Boxing Day due to a knee problem.
