Jota's bad luck appears to have no end in sight. After leaving Celtic in a Scottish record move, he had failed spells at Al-Ittihad and Rennes. Ultimately, the Portuguese winger made a return to Parkhead 18 months later. Fortunately, it looked like his talents had not magically deserted him. He was doing well, starting consistently and scoring goals as well.
Then, bad luck struck again. Jota picked up a knee injury in the game against Dundee United and was subbed off in the first half itself.
Brendan Rodgers had not sounded too worried after the match but the injury has turned out to be much more serious than first thought. Jota is going to spend the next six to nine months out of action. So, we might not see him back in 2025.
Celtic will need to bring in someone to take his place in the squad. Naturally, new wingers will be linked with the Hoops. But they might already have the answer right under their noses.
Celtic must bring back in-form winger after Jota injury
Marco Tilio is currently out on loan at Melbourne City FC and he is putting together an impressive season. In 16 appearances, he has scored 5 goals and provided 4 assists.
So, it might be the right time to bring Tilio back and see what he can do in a Celtic jersey. He has played on both flanks for Melbourne City FC, something that could help him replace Jota in the squad.
Of course, just because Tilio is doing well in Australia does not mean that that will translate to the Scottish game. But at the end of the day, he has done enough to deserve a second chance at Celtic, that is for sure. Otherwise, there is not much point in sending players out on loan.