Liverpool manager, Arne Slot stated on the eve of the game that attacker Diogo Jota is doubtful for Saturday’s Premier League matchup against Brentford since he missed training.
The 28-year-old Portugal international had not made his comeback until December, having sustained an impact injury to his upper body at the end of October.
When Liverpool played high-flying Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Tuesday, Jota came off the bench to save a point.
The Merseyside team leads the Premier League standings with 47 points from 20 games, so her absence would be a major setback.
“No doubt about his importance for us but he wasn’t training, so we have to see today where he is. It’s not sure he is available tomorrow, we’ll see today,” Slot told reporters on Friday.
“He felt a little bit when he came in, a niggle during the half-hour he came in. He finished the game but complained a bit about it. We’ll see for tomorrow.”
Luis Diaz has a bad throat but Slot expects the 28-year-old Colombian forward to train.
Slot was totally focused on the work at hand and not getting distracted by the movements of opponents in the Premier League table.
“I look at the opponent for us… I have no other focus like when Arsenal or Chelsea plays or whoever,” the Dutchman said.
“We are trying to get the best out of players, the staff and the players.
” These players know how long this season is and how good they have to be to win something, which is not something that happens every week.
“So we focus on a good session today and a good game tomorrow and the only way to get a result is to work on the best possible basis every day.”
The leaders have a game in hand and a four-point lead over second-place Arsenal going into Brentford, but they are cautious of the threat posed by the Bees, who have scored 29 goals at home this season—more than any other team.
With 28 points from 21 games, Brentford is ranked 11th in the standings.
Liverpool has recently struggled to hold rivals at bay, giving in four goals in their last three Premier League and League Cup games, with the exception of last week’s 4-0 victory over lower-league Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a concern but it’s not what we want,” Slot said when asked about the lack of clean-sheets.
“One of our strengths was kept clean-sheets earlier on.
“Sometimes strikers have difficulties to score and if we look at the chances we give away before and now, I don’t see many differences… so it is the life of a striker and the life of a defence.”
