Liverpool could be without its starting striker against RB Leipzig after Diogo Jota picked up an injury at the weekend.
Liverpool's 2–1 victory over Chelsea was marred when Jota was substituted in the 30th minute due to injury. The Portugal international, who looked to be in severe discomfort as he walked off the pitch, was replaced with Darwin Núñez.
After the match, Arne Slot confirmed the status of his striker ahead of the Reds' Champions League clash with RB Leipzig on Oct. 23. "Diogo had to be substituted and I am not sure what it is, but I’d be surprised if he is there on Wednesday," the manager said.
Jota has featured in 10 of Liverpool's 11 matches across all competitions this season and started seven of the Reds' eight Premier League fixtures. The 27-year-old added four goals to his tally over the last three months, including the winner against Crystal Palace.
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Slot cited his concerns over Liverpool's fitness with several important matches on the horizon. "I have a lot of confidence in this team, but you also saw [against Chelsea], after the international break, that we have some [injury] problems."
“Conor Bradley is not in," Slot continued. "Trent [Alexander-Arnold], you probably don’t know, was also not training in the first days after he came back, so he was a bit of a doubt before we started the game. Then we had Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] being sick.”
Alisson also remains sidelined until mid-November after the goalkeeper picked up a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace. Harvey Elliott, meanwhile, is still recovering from a serious foot injury.
If Jota does not recover in time for Liverpool's mid-week UCL match, then Slot will likely give Núñez his fourth start this season. The Uruguayan last got the nod against Bologna but could not find the back of the net. In fact, Núñez only has one goal to his name across all competitions under Slot.
Despite its injury worries, Liverpool sits atop both the Premier League table with 21 points and the Champions League table with six points.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool Forward a Doubt for UCL Match vs. RB Leipzig.
