Martin O’Neill has now confirmed CeltsAreHere’s exclusive from earlier today that Jota is facing a longer spell on the sidelines.
CeltsAreHere revealed earlier that the Portuguese winger would not be ready for Celtic’s pre-season and was not expected to be available for the start of the 2026/27 campaign after suffering several setbacks in his ACL recovery.
That update has now been backed up by O’Neill, who has made clear the winger remains some distance away from a first-team return.
Asked about Jota’s chances of being involved at the start of the season, O’Neill told SunSport: “I can’t see it.
“He’s had a couple of setbacks. He’s now in Portugal doing some rehab. He’s had one of those little blood injections to try and get the thing up and running.
“With the best will in the world, I wouldn’t see him starting. I’d be hoping that maybe by Halloween, maybe earlier, he would. But I wouldn’t be thinking about him for the start of this season.
“That’s a tough one for him, a real tough one. He’s been out for nearly 14 months.”
It is a significant update, and one that confirms this is not a minor delay in Jota’s recovery.
The winger suffered the ACL injury towards the back end of the 2024/25 campaign and has now been out for almost 14 months.
There had been hope among supporters that he could return much earlier this year, with February once viewed as a possible target, but that timeline never materialised.
Now, O’Neill’s comments point towards a longer-term absence, with Halloween mentioned as a possible marker rather than the start of the season.
For Jota, it is a cruel situation.
ACL recoveries are difficult enough without setbacks, and the Portuguese attacker has clearly had a frustrating road back. The fact he is now in Portugal continuing his rehab shows the process is still ongoing, with Celtic needing to be careful not to rush the final stages.
For the club, though, the footballing implications are obvious.
Celtic have just completed a league and Scottish Cup double, but the summer ahead is already loaded with major decisions. The managerial situation still has to be resolved, while the squad could see significant turnover before the window closes.
Jota’s status now has to be built into that planning.
Celtic cannot go into pre-season treating him as an available attacking option. Even if he returns around Halloween, that still leaves the club without one of their most gifted wide players for the opening months of the campaign.
Jota at full fitness remains a major asset. His quality is not in question. But availability is now the issue Celtic must plan around.
