Medical insider slams Liverpool injury prevention methods as new Diogo Jota details emerge
Liverpool will have regrets over how they managed Diogo Jota’s return to fitness.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
Jota was forced off with a calf injury in stoppage time of Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Man City on Sunday (16 October) as he made his second start of the season.
As quoted by club media on Tuesday (18 October), Jurgen Klopp confirmed the 25-year-old will miss the World Cup but does not require surgery.
“He had that hamstring injury in the summer with Portugal and that kept him out for around two and a half months,” Dinnery told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.
“You are missing that fundamental part of preparation that will see you through that upcoming campaign.
“He never had that so before a ball is even kicked Diogo Jota is probably in that increased risk zone of picking up an injury. You are always playing catch-up.
“When we’re talking about the pressures of the game, you are creating that perfect storm.
“Jota was put in there, it was only his second start of the season and it was tight, it was 1-0. Ideally, would you want Jota to be competing for 90-plus minutes in that environment? He hadn’t played 90 minutes prior to that this season.
“In hindsight, they might think they took too much of a risk and pushed it too hard and that’s why he broke.
“We are seeing games at a greater intensity in a congested schedule. Players, biologically and physically and how they maintain availability and performance is probably stretched far beyond what we expected.
“Everything is in hindsight but you can say that maybe he should have been managed.
“It’s one of those situations where it’s very, very difficult. We’re not privy to this but Jota could have been asked the question and said ‘I’m absolutely fine’.
“It’s very disappointing that he’s paid that massive cost for playing those extra minutes in added time.”
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