Portugal's World Cup plans took a blow on Tuesday when Liverpool forward Diogo Jota was ruled out of the tournament in Qatar due to a calf injury.
Jota was carried off the pitch on a stretcher late in Liverpool's 1-0 Premier League win over Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
And Reds manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed that the injury will mean Jots is out for "months" and results in the 25-year-old missing the World Cup that kicks off in the Middle East on November 20.
“It’s really not good news about Diogo. Yes, he will miss the World Cup,” said Klopp, before Liverpool's Premier League game at home to West Ham United on Wednesday.
“[It’s a] pretty serious injury in the calf muscle and now the recovery process starts. That’s it pretty much.
“That is the first diagnosis, which was pretty clear, and all the rest will now follow in the next few days. It is very sad news for the boy, and for us as well as for Portugal.
“[It will have a] big impact. So, now we can say that because he will not be in for a long time; we talk about months.
Liverpool 1 Man City 0: player ratings
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LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker – 7. The Brazilian made a number of important saves but his best contribution was the long kick that allowed Salah the chance to score. His quick thinking opened up the game. EPA -
James Milner – 7. The 36-year-old took the battle to Foden. He was strong in the tackle and even got forward and looked to cross. It was foolish to see him as the weak link. Getty Images -
Joe Gomez – 8. The 25-year-old was unruffled by the presence of Haaland and made a great block from the striker. He made a series of interceptions and tackles. Getty Images -
Virgil van Dijk – 7. The Dutchman was composed throughout and not intimidated by Haaland’s physicality. A calming influence at the back. EPA -
Andrew Robertson – 7. The Scot refused to be pinned back by City’s attack and got forward in relentless fashion. He fired one opportunity over the bar and worried the defence constantly. AFP -
Fabinho – 7. The Brazilian was kept busy protecting the defence, a job he carried out effectively. When he got the chance, he looked to probe forward. Henderson replaced him in the 73rd minute. AP Photo -
Thiago Alcantara – 6. The 31-year-old battled in the midfield but struggled to impose his trademark passing on the game in hectic conditions. AFP -
Harvey Elliott – 6. The 19-year-old made sure that he did not leave the defence exposed. That limited his forward motion and when given an opportunity by Salah, he got caught in two minds. He was withdrawn for Carvalho in the 73rd minute. Reuters -
Mohamed Salah – 9. The Egyptian was a constant menace for the defence. He was foiled by a fingertip save by Ederson but when he turned Cancelo and went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, the striker made no mistake and scored a brilliant goal. He came off in the last minute for Alexander-Arnold. PA -
Diogo Jota – 7. The Portuguese threatened with direct running but his backtracking might have been better. He got into good positions in the second half but was not picked out by teammates. A stoppage-time injury ended his participation and he was replaced by Tsimikas. PA -
Roberto Firmino – 6. The Brazilian was sucked deep to help out the midfield and that limited his attacking contribution. He made way for Nunez in the 72nd minute. AFP -
SUBS: Darwin Nunez – 6. The Uruguayan replaced Firmino in the 72nd minute. He had a chance to set up Salah or Jota but decided to shoot instead. It was an awful decision. A cross to Alexander-Arnold was better but just too heavy. Getty -
Jordan Henderson – 6. The 32-year-old joined the action with 17 minutes to go at Fabinho’s expense. He pressed City hard and screened the defence. Getty Images -
Fabio Carvalho – 6. The Portuguese came on for Elliott in the 73rd minute. He ran at the defence and was brought down a number of times. Reuters -
Trent Alexander-Arnold – N/A. The 23-year-old had a brief taste of the action after replacing Salah in the last minute. He got into a great position in front of goal but Nunez’s cross was just too heavy. AFP -
Kostas Tsimikas – N/A. The Greek was sent on deep in stoppage time when Jota was injured. He was on the pitch for a matter of seconds. PA -
MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson – 6. The Brazilian made a series of saves and his fingertip effort to turn a Salah shot around the post was top class. He could do nothing when the Egyptian bore down unchallenged on goal to score the decisive goal. Getty -
Joao Cancelo – 4. The Portuguese misjudged the ball and was turned by Salah for Liverpool’s goal. It was the defining moment in the game. He will be disappointed with that and his distribution was poor, too. Getty Images -
Manuel Akanji – 5. The Swiss did well in the first half but began to struggle later in the game. He was unable to do much going forward. AFP -
Ruben Dias – 6. The Portuguese’s lack of pace was exposed by Salah but he was strong in the tackle and in the air. AP Photo -
Nathan Ake – 6. The Dutchman was composed and firm in the challenge. He was able to get forward and help with attacks. Reuters -
Kevin De Bruyne – 6. Much of City’s threat came through the Belgian but he was not as influential as he would have liked. He had a low-key first half but was better after the break. EPA -
Rodri – 5. The Spaniard was unable to take control in the midfield. He started poorly but improved as the game went on. AFP -
Ilkay Gundogan – 6. The German looked to connect with Haaland and produced moments of danger. His final ball was not as precise as usual. He was replaced by Alvarez with a minute to go. AP Photo -
Bernardo Silva – 4. The Portuguese did lots of running but it had little impact. His passing was scattergun and he made bad choices. EPA -
Erland Haaland – 6. The Norwegian got into great positions and had some chances but could not convert. His pull on Fabinho’s shirt led to City’s goal being disallowed. Reuters -
Phil Foden – 3. The 22-year-old was up against Milner but never tested the veteran’s legs. His shot and pass selection were poor. EPA -
SUB: Julian Alvarez – N/A. The Argentine replaced Gundogan in the final minute. He was not on the pitch long enough to have any impact. EPA
“So, we will see. I don’t want to put now a number on it because I always hope in the middle of the rehab there is a very positive development and we can cut days off the rehab phase, but it will be long.
“He's surprisingly OK so far. He's an incredibly smart boy. I think he knew it when we carried him off the pitch.”
“We passed each other after the game and he explained pretty much what had happened. I think he knew it was a serious one and could be pretty impactful for his World Cup dreams.”
Jota was an expected starter for Portugal in a World Cup group that includes Ghana, South Korea and Uruguay. Their campaign begins against the African nation on November 24.
Portugal also lost winger Pedro Neto last week due to an ankle injury on club duty, for Wolves, that requires surgery.
