Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - July 31, 2022. Celtic's Jota celebrates scoring.
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will give Jota ‘as much time as possible’ on the sidelines to recover from his injury, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.
The Lowdown: Jota’s muscle injury
The forward was substituted at the break during the 2-1 Scottish Premiership victory over St Johnstone last weekend, before being left out of the Champions League matchday squad to take on RB Leipzig on Tuesday.
Sky Sports later revealed that the 23-year-old had sustained a muscle injury which was the cause of him missing the European fixture, despite the boss originally claiming that he was simply being rested.
He joins Callum McGregor in the treatment room, leaving Postecoglou without two of his most trusted assets.
The Latest: Hutton’s replacement claim
Asked by Football Insider who could replace Jota in the starting XI, Hutton said they have the depth to wait on a perfect recovery:
“I think you look at Kyogo, he could play out there.
“I think they have got options. [Daizen] Maeda, [Liel] Abada, [James] Forrest is coming back so you can move things about.
“Of course you want Jota to play. He is their star forward, he gives you that x-factor, he offers something different.
“I am sure Ange will give him as much time as possible to come through. I think they have got strength and depth in those wide areas.“
The Verdict: Blow for Postecoglou
If Jota is out for a considerable amount of time, this will come as a huge blow to Postecoglou, who will know just how much of an influential player he is.
The Portuguese has made an outstanding 37 goal contributions in 52 appearances since arriving in Glasgow, with ten of those coming in just 12 outings across all competitions since the start of this season (Transfermarkt).
The Hoops manager certainly has some depth at his disposal but will be desperate to have Jota back sooner rather than later as he looks to guide his side to a second consecutive league title.
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