Liverpool forward Diogo Jota was forced to hobble off after an hour of the Reds’ Champions League tie with Atalanta after suffering an injury in the second-half. Jota had scored his first hat-trick for the club in the match prior to his injury.
Jota appeared to take a knock before going off against Atalanta.
The Portuguese ace was on fire in Italy, and grabbed an impressive hat-trick having been given his second start in the competition.
But his evening was cut short just after the hour mark as he was taken off for Roberto Firmino, and appeared to be clutching his leg.
He was escorted off the pitch by a member of Liverpool’s medical staff, sparking fears he had suffered an injury rather than just being tired.
Jota got the rout underway for Liverpool in the opening 15 minutes as he raced through on goal and beat Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello with a delicate chip.
After baring down on goal, the Portuguese ace lofted the ball over Sportiello and followed the ball through to the net.
His second was emphatic, as he called for the ball from Joe Gomez, who played a cross over the top of the Atalanta defence.
Jota brought the ball down perfectly on his left foot and switched to his right before firing into the bottom corner of the net.
His third, which came shortly after half-time, was the simplest of the lot.
Jota raced past the Atalanta defence and latched onto a through ball before rounding the goalkeeper and slot home.
He made a significant statement with his performance and will be hoping to have done enough to warrant a start against Manchester City this weekend.
But he suffered what appeared to be a slight setback at the hour mark as he was substituted off.
As he hobbled off the pitch, he appeared to be clutching his leg, sparking fears he could have a dead leg.
Klopp will be hoping it’s nothing more serious than that, as he prepares to take his side to face City this weekend.
He didn’t appear to go straight down the tunnel, which could indicate the injury isn’t as severe as some feared.
After the full-time whistle blew, he was spotted hugging the match ball and smiling as he left the bench, so Reds fans can probably breathe easy over his condition.