"He was not in training yesterday" - Arne Slot confirms Liverpool injury blow ahead of Brentford clash

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed that Diogo Jota may not be available for their upcoming Premier League clash against Brentford on Saturday, January 18. The Portugal international came off the bench against Nottingham Forest and scored to help them pick up a point in a 1-1 draw on Tuesday, January 14.

However, Jota reported some discomfort after the game and even trained separately from the rest of the squad on Thursday. This could be bad news for Liverpool fans as the former Wolverhampton star has been vital in the attacking third, creating chances and also finishing them.

"There’s no doubt about the fact that Jota is an important player for us. He was not in training yesterday so we have to see today where he is. It’s not sure that he will be available for tomorrow. We have to wait and see, He felt a little niggle during the half-hour he was in, he could finish the game but he afterwards he complained a bit about it," Slot said in his pre-match press conference (via Metro).

"There is a special programme for Diogo Jota as there is for every single player" - Liverpool boss Arne Slot

Jota has had an unenviable record of missing 66 games for Liverpool over the last two and a half seasons. However, Slot said that the forward was not getting any special treatment because of it.

"Every single player has an individual programme. I’ve said before that 80 to 90 per cent of the things are the same for players. But every individual has things he wants to improve or to prevent him from maybe getting a certain injury he may have had in the past," said Slot.

"Of course, there is an eye on him (Jota) doing some individual work to prevent him from getting injured, but that’s not only with him. With all the others it’s the same. There is a special programme for him as there is for every single player," he added.

The centre-forward has played 19 matches across all competitions for Liverpool this season, of which 13 have come in the Premier League. Jota has scored eight goals and bagged two assists in those games.

Liverpool, who are still top of the league table with 47 points, will be boosted by the return of Luis Diaz, who missed Thursday's session due to sickness. Taking on Thomas Frank's Brentford will not be an easy task for the Reds, and they will be keen on putting up a good performance on Saturday.