Celtic winger Jota will be sidelined for six to nine months after suffering a cruciate ligament injury, a setback that manager Brendan Rodgers says underscores the club’s need to strengthen their forward line during the summer transfer window.
The 26-year-old sustained the knee injury during Celtic’s 5-0 victory over Dundee United on Saturday. He was forced off in the first half at Tannadice, leaving the stadium on crutches as Celtic celebrated securing their fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership title.
“Sadly, it’s not good news for him or for us,” Rodgers told Sky Sports. “It didn’t look as bad initially, but the scan showed a cruciate injury along with some additional damage. He’ll likely be out for six to nine months. He’s quite upbeat and philosophical about it.”
Jota had returned to Celtic in January from Rennes, having previously impressed during a loan spell from Benfica before being sold to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad in 2023. After falling out of favour there and subsequently in France, he rejoined the Scottish champions, making 16 appearances—including nine starts—and scoring five goals.
Rodgers noted that Jota had shown promise in pre-season and the coaching staff anticipated a strong second half of the campaign.
“Unfortunately, this injury has disrupted that momentum,” Rodgers said. “He’s had a tough couple of years since leaving us, but he’s a very positive young man. I’ve no doubt he’ll come back stronger both as a player and a person.”
Celtic had earlier sold top scorer Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes in a move that coincided with Jota’s return, and the winger’s long-term absence now makes attacking reinforcements a priority for the club.
“We were always going to look at bolstering our forward line, but this injury puts even more focus on that area,” Rodgers added. “We will definitely need to go into the market—there’s no question about that.”
Celtic face Rangers on Sunday in a crucial Old Firm clash, aiming to avoid a third consecutive league defeat to their city rivals. They will also be without right-back Alistair Johnston, who remains sidelined through injury.
Please don't forget to follow this page after reading at the top right corner for more authentic news update. Thank you.
0 Comments