Jota - Welcome Home!

It was a cruel twist in Jota’s fairytale return to Celtic that just as he was approaching full fitness, he suffered a jar to his knee on the Tannadice turf, and with it a cruciate ligament injury that has ruled him out of action until November at the very least.

Having come back to the city, the club and the fans that he has come to love, the Portuguese winger subsequently had to go back to his homeland to slowly work his way to fitness once more.


He is keeping in touch with all things Celtic though, and in particular his teammates, with compatriot Paulo Bernardo revealing that his friend’s rehabilitation is on schedule.

“Yes, [I speak to him] sometimes,” Bernardo said.

“He's now in Portugal on rehab. I'll probably be with him after the game [on Saturday].


“I spoke to him [on Wednesday] and he seemed okay. He had his operation very well and now he's doing rehab. I think he's okay. I'll see him next week.

“He was determined to come back here in January very strong. He told me that he wasn't very fit at the time because of the game time he had before. But I think he shows everyone that he can come back and show his football again.


He scored goals, made assists and played important games. He had a great response to that. I think in his mind, he's very strong.

“He said to me that the surgery went well. He's obviously a great player. Fans love him.

“I never played a lot with him [when we were younger]. I had a pre-season with him in Benfica. Of course, he joined Benfica very young too. So, I always met him sometimes in the campus. Maybe some trainings.

“But he's really a great guy. I was already a friend of him in Benfica and his coming back here was good for me too.”

 

Luke McCowan admits he was a Jota fanboy when the Portuguese winger returned to Parkhead.


But now it’s the entire Celtic squad supporting the Portuguese ace on his long road back from a cruciate injury


Winger Jota faces being out until 2026, but McCowan said: “Regardless of how long it is, we’ll just keep making sure his mental state is always in the right place


He’s a good character, a very lively, influential person.


I think he thought I was a wee bit of a fanboy when I first came in, because I was kidding on to him that I was going to get a few ‘Jota 7’ tops off him!

“But no, he’s been perfect. I’m good friends with Paolo Bernardo from when I first came in and as soon as Jota came in, and Paolo was obviously close with Jota, we became friends right away.


That’s what this club creates, friendships through different countries, different cultures. It’s a special place.

 

His injury is a bitter blow and had a big effect end of season. He brings a spark not just with what he does on the pitch, with the fans. He just brings that buzz. We missed him being there the cup final on the pitch but think his return galvanised us as fans so much, and it kinda petered out his injury.

With the type of injury he has, 9 months seems more likely than the 6 months, and when he returns it’s a solid 6 months after that to get fully up to speed and recovered. Being fit enough to play is the start of proper recovery fully with that type of injury. If the rumours of ACL/MCL double tear anyway. We haven’t confirmed * all have we?

 

Still sticking with the hope he’s back quicker than expected. He was a huge miss in the run in.

 

It’s very important that we handle his recovery perfectly, and that means even if he wants to return ahead of schedule feels like he can, we don’t just go with that. He’s missed a lot of football already, if is out 9 months that is 3 years not really playing and a bad injury. If we handle it right and build up his body right, then we can reap the rewards of that for years to come. If we don’t, we absolutely ruin him. He won’t have that same movement twisting and turning and will be constant niggles to other areas of his body that will be labelled as not linked to the injury but they are when that happens.


Can’t stress how important it is we show patience with this one

 

Fingers crossed! scared he was out til the new year or later, but if he can even be back by October I would take that as a massive win! But if he's moving around, keepyups without needing the crutches he had at the end of the season, christ we may get him back even sooner!

 

He was due back from Lisbon in the next few weeks

Pictures were likely done a while back or reused from something else

 

End of October was the original timeline of 6 months from injury iirc. These things grow arms and legs and before you know it the consensus is that he misses next season.

 

those photos will have been taken months ago

 

Think the pics are from before the injury. You can see the dugouts in the background and going by recent reports they have been ripped out

Also Bernardo is in the pictures and he's been away with Portugal u21s for a few weeks now and that drone footage over the stadium with no grass or dugouts was more recent than that

 

I think it's probably going to be December before we see him back in the squads and will likely be February before we see him back up to speed fully.

If we recruit well, we shouldn't need to rush him back. Looks like we are progressing well with the Balikwisha deal. So, you would think that they will go with Maeda/Balikwisha on the left wing until he comes back. Likely target a new striker too, who will rotate with Maeda and Idah.

 

Don’t think the club has ever really officially commented on how long he’s out for, unless I’ve missed it.

 

Surely to * we should be trying voodoo and every other * option to get this guy back. Need his creativity and personality in the team

 

Looks great, walking without crutches or a knee brace howpfully back this side christmas

 

The most important thing we can do is make sure we don’t rush his return. Needs to be managed so carefully those types of injuries.

 

As Celtic’s summer training continues to gather pace in Lisbon, there was a familiar face present at their double session yesterday (Thursday) at the Cidade do Futebol, where the Bhoys are being put through their paces under the watchful eyes of Brendan Rodgers and his coaching staff.

Jota was in town as he continues his recovery from an injury he sustained on the day that Celtic clinched their fourth consecutive title at Tannadice back in April.

The Hoops’ superstar from Portugal remains positive as his recovery process continues, and, speaking to Celtic TV, he reflected on his current situation in his own bright and inimitable way.

“I’m feeling really well and trusting the process,” he said. “It’s a long one but I am happy with developments and I think I am on the right track to be fit, in good shape and playing football again.

“It’s always unlucky to get injured. But, seeing the timelines, this actually gives me a bit more time to recover.

“It’s just about doing the right things every day so that I can come back well from the injury.

‘From my perspective I think there’s always something worse that could have happened to you. And if this happened, there’s a reason for that.’

“There’s no point in me going down mentally. I have been through worse in different stages of my life, worse situations.

“So this, compared to other things, it will be nothing. I’m just curious and open-minded about all of the process.





The Scottish champions are training at Lisbon’s ‘City of Football’, nestled in the Jamor Valley just a stone’s throw from the Estádio Nacional where, in 1967, the Lisbon Lions picked up the greatest prize in club football and returned the European Cup to Paradise.




The training facility is also the base for Portugal’s national side and, understandably, there is a sombre tone of reflection present around the place just now, given the recent and tragic passing of national hero, Diogo Jota.

And, in his conversation with Celtic TV, Celtic’s Jota reflected on the sudden and saddening death of the Liverpool forward as he shared his own memories of playing alongside Diogo Jota.

He said: “I struggle to find words about everything that happened. I think everyone in the world of football felt the same thing that day.

'It’s such a strange feeling, so unfair to someone who still had all of his life in front of him. It’s really sad.'

“No one can imagine the pain and suffering of the family but these are the moments that people should unite, be with them and be all together.

“I knew him. I played with him in the Portugal Under-21s, and he already seemed like a very mature guy, with a lot of success in football.

“Everyone could look up to him like a father-figure, and this happening just doesn’t make any sense.

“We really need to be strong and together on this, because his memory will live on.

"The things he did in football were amazing. We need to cherish his life, and he built up an amazing family as well.

“Us down here, we’ll still keep up doing our thing, fighting and remembering him for all of the things that he has done.”