Jota Out for Months, Says Klopp, as Liverpool’s Injury Crisis Deepens

Football - Premier League - Brentford v Liverpool - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - February 17, 2024 Liverpool's Diogo Jota touches hands with Brentford's Sergio Reguilon as he is stretchered off after sustaining an injury. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brentford v Liverpool - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - February 17, 2024 Liverpool's Diogo Jota touches hands with Brentford's Sergio Reguilon as he is stretchered off after sustaining an injury. (Action Images via Reuters)
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Jota Out for Months, Says Klopp, as Liverpool’s Injury Crisis Deepens

Football - Premier League - Brentford v Liverpool - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - February 17, 2024 Liverpool's Diogo Jota touches hands with Brentford's Sergio Reguilon as he is stretchered off after sustaining an injury. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brentford v Liverpool - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - February 17, 2024 Liverpool's Diogo Jota touches hands with Brentford's Sergio Reguilon as he is stretchered off after sustaining an injury. (Action Images via Reuters)

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota will be missing for months because of injury, manager Jurgen Klopp said on Tuesday.

The Portugal international hurt his right knee in the first half of Liverpool's 4-1 win at Brentford in the English Premier League on Saturday.

“We have Diogo with a knee issue ruled out — it will obviously take months,” Klopp said ahead of Liverpool's home match against Luton on Wednesday.

The injury potentially threatens Jota's involvement in the European Championship in Germany starting in June.

Liverpool’s injury crisis has deepened, with nine senior players unavailable heading into a key period of the season that includes the English League Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday.

Klopp didn't give a return date for injured pair Curtis Jones or Alisson Becker and he described Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai as “longer term” problems. Striker Darwin Nunez was replaced at halftime against Brentford as a precaution.



Pro-Palestinian Supporters Stage Protest at French Football Federation over Israel Game

This photograph taken on June 3, 2024, shows logos of the French Football Federation (FFF) during a press conference to announce the pre-selection of the players who will take part in the upcoming training camp of France's men's Olympic football team, at the FFF headquarters in Paris. (AFP)
This photograph taken on June 3, 2024, shows logos of the French Football Federation (FFF) during a press conference to announce the pre-selection of the players who will take part in the upcoming training camp of France's men's Olympic football team, at the FFF headquarters in Paris. (AFP)
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Pro-Palestinian Supporters Stage Protest at French Football Federation over Israel Game

This photograph taken on June 3, 2024, shows logos of the French Football Federation (FFF) during a press conference to announce the pre-selection of the players who will take part in the upcoming training camp of France's men's Olympic football team, at the FFF headquarters in Paris. (AFP)
This photograph taken on June 3, 2024, shows logos of the French Football Federation (FFF) during a press conference to announce the pre-selection of the players who will take part in the upcoming training camp of France's men's Olympic football team, at the FFF headquarters in Paris. (AFP)

Pro-Palestinian supporters staged a protest Monday at the French football federation to call for the cancellation of a Nations League game between France and Israel this month.

Video footage of their action posted on social media and circulating in French media showed protesters inside the federation's headquarters in Paris lying on the floor or holding placards with political slogans and Palestinian flags.

Some protesters also chanted: “No, no, no to the France-Israel game at the Stade de France.”

The French soccer federation did not immediately respond to a request for comments from The Associated Press.

According to local media, the demonstrators were calmly evacuated by police.

French authorities confirmed last month that the match would go ahead with fans allowed in the stadium after Italy hosted Israel in the same competition without incident despite security concerns.

The Nov. 14 match at the Stade de France will be played against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East which has spread to Lebanon after more than a year-long war in Gaza.

Israel's match against Italy was the first match the country has played outside neutral Hungary this year. After the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7 last year, the national soccer team played in Kosovo and Andorra last November.

All Israel matches since then have been in Hungary, including a game against Belgium in the Nations League after the Belgian Football Association refused to host the game for security reasons.