Celtic FC’s 26-year-old Portuguese winger Jota is staring down a year of rehab following a major knee injury. He was injured in an FA Cup match against Dundee United. Scot’s team recently enjoyed an excellent 5-0 away win against Dundee United at Tannadice Park last weekend. Unfortunately, Jota had to exit the field of play in the first half. After the game, he was spotted leaving the stadium on crutches, which is not a good sign for his status.
Manager Brendan Rodgers revealed today that, following a scan, Jota had made serious damage to his knee joint. The injury has now been confirmed as a cruciate ligament rupture. This type of injury would sideline him for a minimum of six to nine months. He’ll be forced to sit out several key fixtures, including the May 18 Old Firm derby against rivals Rangers and the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen May 24.
“It’s terrible news for him and for us,” said Rodgers, underlining the seriousness of the injury to both the player and the program. Read more of his detailed explanation of Jota’s injury right here. To clarify, he’s done his cruciate and has a bit of other damage in there as well.
Even with these disappointments, Jota is hopeful about his recovery moving forward. Rodgers noted that the player is “quite upbeat and philosophical about it,” highlighting the challenges Jota has faced since moving away from Celtic to Saudi Arabia and back again.
This latest injury exposes a gap in Celtic’s squad, prompting Rodgers to consider reinforcing the team. “We’ll definitely have to go into the market, there’s no doubt, but that was always going to be the case anyway,” he stated.
Scotland’s top-flight is the most exciting it’s ever been! So you can watch the action live on Sky Sports, as well as stream it all conveniently through NOW. Jota is on his way to recovery.
Expectations & next steps
Fans will understandably be hoping to see how Celtic cope without him and if they can maintain a high level of league form.
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