Diogo Jota is a fitness doubt for Liverpool’s Premier League trip to Brentford tomorrow.
The Portugal international made an instant impact off the bench when he scored in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest, but he picked up a minor muscle problem.
Fellow attacker Luis Diaz also missed training on Thursday but the Colombian is expected to be available to face Thomas Frank’s side.
“There’s no doubt about the fact that Jota is an important player for us, but he wasn’t on the training ground yesterday so we have to see where he is today,” head coach Arne Slot said.
“It’s not sure that he will be available for tomorrow. We have to wait and see.
“He felt a little niggle during the half-hour he came in (against Forest). He could finish the game but afterwards he complained a bit about it. That’s why he didn’t train yesterday.”
On Diaz, Slot added: “Yesterday he wasn’t out there because he had a bit of a sore throat. But I assume he will be training with us today. We are expecting him to train.”
Darwin Nunez, who is available after serving a one-match ban, could be handed his first Premier League start since Boxing Day.
The Uruguayan hasn’t scored in the top-flight since November but Slot leapt to his defence.
“It’s not my perception that he’s struggling with self-confidence,” he said.
“He was involved in the first goal against Accrington Stanley, he was involved in the goal against Fulham that Jota scored, and he scored one against Southampton.
“After that he hasn’t had many starts. For me, it’s the life of a striker – sometimes you score, sometimes you don’t. Darwin will score his goals, like he has done for this club already.”
Slot admits that the fitness and form of Liverpool’s senior attackers will have an impact on whether they decide to sanction a loan for young striker Jayden Danns later this month. Danns scored off the bench against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup last weekend.
“Yeah, you take a lot of things into account if you want to loan out a player,” he said.
“There are factors like: ‘Is it good for a player to get playing time? Do we still need him?’ We already have three options for the No 9 position and it’s not that we expect Jota to be out for a long period of time.
“It will be a struggle to maybe have him on the pitch tomorrow but we are hoping to see him back on the pitch in the near future.
“Jayden did really well when he came on so actually we have four options. Then it’s up to us to make the best possible decisions for the near future and the long term future of the club.”
(Julian Finney/Getty Images)
