Arne Slot faces uncomfortable Liverpool problem with 'smart' £45m player

has been out for much longer than initially thought for - and that prompts an uncomfortable conversation for the Reds. has said he expects the Portuguese back "one or two weeks after the international break".

The clinical Portuguese attacker stands to miss the trip to Southampton plus high-profile Anfield showdowns with Real Madrid in the Champions League and Manchester City in the Premier League.

It will be a close call whether he's fit for the league trips to Newcastle and Everton the following week. The forward, signed for £40million rising to £45m in 2020, has already missed six games since Tosin Adarabioyo fell on his ribs.

Jota's injury troubles present a problem for the Merseyside club. Since playing 55 times in the 2021-22 season, he has only played 70 times across two-and-a-half campaigns.

When he's fit, Jota is a lethal weapon. He averages a goal or an assist every 112 minutes. He is arguably Liverpool's finest finisher and has four goals in eight starts under Slot this season plus two assists.

Yet he turns 28 next month and enters the final two years of his contract at the end of the season. That means his transfer value will only decline from here on out unless his deal is extended.

Is the former Wolves man worthy of a new contract? His output suggests yes. His availability suggests no. Since the start of 2022-23, he has played 3,760 minutes (the equivalent of nearly 42 matches).

By contrast, team-mate Mohamed Salah has played 8,782 (the equivalent of almost 98 matches), Darwin Nunez 6,094 (68 matches), Luis Diaz 5,925 (66 matches) and Cody Gakpo 5,708 (63 matches).

Their minutes have been inflated by Jota's absences of course - but there is still a chasmic difference between how much the Portugal international has played and how much his team-mates have.

Might Richard Hughes prefer to use Liverpool's finances on a younger player more reliable physically? Jota certainly appears one of the more expendable assets at Anfield because of such chequered availability.

A replacement for Jota's versatility and finishing will not come cheaply, but Liverpool's scouting department are capable of identifying forwards who can match his strengths and perhaps even excel in areas the No.20 does not.

It is not a decision that will be easy, or that popular. The Kop love the Portugal international. Were he fit all year long, he would be a 20-goal-a-season striker.

And in an ideal world, Jota would be tied down for an extra two years already because he is a player Slot clearly admires. Speaking after the win at Crystal Palace, the Dutchman said: "He puts a lot of effort in, but apart from putting a lot of effort in, he works in a smart way. Without the ball, he works really hard.

"With the ball, he always understands when to drop, when to play deep, and a bit higher. He has a lot of tactical knowledge, and that helps us in certain parts of the game."

But given Liverpool have lost several players for nothing in recent years - Gini Wijnaldum, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and perhaps Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Salah this coming summer - they would be wise not to let the same happen with Jota.

That leaves the club's decision-makers with a problem to ponder. To sell him in the summer of 2025, or 2026, or hand him a new deal? But right now, Hughes still has a few other contract situations to sort first...