Liverpool were left bemoaning their luck once again as Diogo Jota was ruled out for up to eight weeks with a knee injury picked up in last week’s Champions League clash against FC Midtjylland.
The Portuguese forward signed for the Premier League champions in the summer from Wolves and has been nothing short of sensational in his Anfield career to date.
Having managed the seemingly impossible by turning Liverpool’s fabulous front three into a location-befitting ‘fab four’ and occasionally ousting Robert Firmino, the 23-year-old will be sorely missed. However, the Reds’ latest in a long line of injury setbacks may just have handed a trio of fringe stars a stay of execution.
Lesser-seen attacking options with the Liverpool ranks, Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino, and Xherdan Shaqiri have all had their moments during their careers on Merseyside, less so in the case of the Japan international than the other two.
However, with Jota usurping all three to become next in line to the attacking throne, his injury could give them more opportunities to prove their worth as the January transfer window fast approaches.
In truth, Minamino was never likely to be in danger of exiting the club as he is often deployed in midfield and only arrived last January. However, he is yet to find his feet nearly a year into his Anfield tenure.
Origi and Shaqiri have both had their memorable moments during Jurgen Klopp’s tenure – but a dramatic decline in form and consistent injury problems respectively have seen their careers go backwards in recent months,
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With just 11 Premier League outings between the three this season, were it not for Jota’s absence the writing may well have been on the wall for at least one of the lesser-seen forwards.
However, with the condensed season already taking its toll on a weary Liverpool squad, Klopp is going to need to rest and rotate his preferred front three.
Shaqiri is perhaps the most crucial of the trio, undoubtedly talented and always seeming to impact games when involved. However, he simply can’t seem to string a run of matches together – hopefully until now, when he returns from his latest absence.
With increased involvement likely in the coming weeks, these players may well be looking to save their Anfield careers, having previously been living on borrowed time.
