As Celtic prepare for life without Jota for the remainder of this season, questions are now emerging over what kind of player they will see when he finally returns from a prolonged period on the sidelines.
Jota has not featured since suffering an ACL injury at Tannadice last season, and subsequent setbacks in his rehabilitation have delayed his recovery further.
The Portuguese wide attacker was once a creative linchpin for the Hoops but injuries of this magnitude inevitably raise questions about how a player comes back.
Journalist Michael Gannon, on Hotline Live, believes the landscape around Jota’s return is far from straightforward and that Celtic cannot simply expect a mirror image of the player who starred in Ange’s teams.
Gannon explained:
“He’s had a few wee bumps in the road as well in his rehab. So by next season, and then after that, who knows what kind of Jota’s going to come back next season.
“So I don’t think you can even plan around having Jota from 2021 back in 2026–27. Because it’s not going to be the same player after being sitting out for 18 months, and then injured for another 12, 13, 14 months.
“So that’s a big blow from a guy who costs a lot of money, obviously.”
Celtic invested significant funds and faith in Jota when he arrived back at the club, but extended time out with injury often has quite the impact on players. Rodri at Man City has only played 90 minutes three times since he returned from his ACL injury.
With a shortage of creative wide options and a dearth of pure goal threat this season, the absence of someone like Jota has been felt acutely and now the question has shifted from when he’ll return to what he will be like when he does.
Hopefully, he can silence the doubt next season.
