"One of my dreams collapsed" - Liverpool attacker breaks silence as injury rules him out of 2022 FIFA World Cup

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has expressed his anguish after being ruled out of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar due to a calf injury.

Jota, 25, has been in and out of the Reds' first team this season after initially suffering a hamstring injury in August. The Portuguese returned to action last month and was slowly regaining his fitness. However, he was stretchered off during his team's 1-0 Premier League win against Manchester City on Sunday (October 16).

Taking to Twitter, Jota confirmed his absence from the quadrennial tournament but vowed to make a comeback as soon as possible. He wrote:

"After such a good night at Anfield, mine ended in the worst way! In the last minute, one of my dreams collapsed. I will be one more supporting from the outside, club and country, and fighting to be back as soon as possible. You'll Never Walk Alone."

After such a good night at Anfield mine ended in the worst way ! In the last minute one of my dreams collapsed 💔
I will be one more supporting from the outside, club and country, and fighting to be back as soon as possible 🙏
You'll Never Walk Alone https://t.co/gKssZSnLZ1

During a pre-match press conference, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp offered an update on Jota's injury. He said (via Liverpool FC):

"It's really not good news about Diogo. Yes, he will miss the World Cup. (It's a) pretty serious injury in the calf muscle, and now the recovery process starts. It is very sad news for the boy, and for us as well of course (and) for Portugal."

When asked about the timeline on Jota's return to action, Klopp said that the player will be out for a few months. He added:

"He will not be in for a long time; we talk about months. 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."

📊 No one at LFC can match Diogo Jota’s tally of five assists so far this season. On Sunday he made four key passes, more than anyone else on the field and made more tackles [five] and won more duels [eight] than any of his team-mates. He will be missed. #lfc [the athletic] https://t.co/rtqXhm1kUo

Jota, who arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £41 million in the summer of 2020, has laid out five assists in eight games this season.

Liverpool's injury list continues to grow after Diogo Jota's calf issue

After Diogo Jota's injury, Liverpool are set to be without nine first-team players during their upcoming Premier League home clash against West Ham United on Wednesday (October 19).

Luis Diaz has been sidelined for more than two months after suffering a knee injury during the 3-2 loss at Arsenal earlier this month. Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip and Calvin Ramsay have also been ruled out of action due to their muscle, calf and back issue respectively.

Meanwhile, the midfield department is the most affected, with four major absentees. Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arthur Melo and Curtis Jones are all recovering from injury.