Arne Slot has said it is ‘impossible to measure the impact’ of Diogo Jota’s passing on the Liverpool squad.
Jota was tragically killed in a car accident in Spain on July 3rd, leading to an outpouring of emotion both in Liverpool and the wider football world.
Earlier this week, Andy Robertson emotionally opened up on the death of his teammate, insisting Jota was at the forefront of his thoughts as Scotland reached the World Cup.
Fighting back tears, Robertson said to the BBC: “I’ve hid it well, but today I’ve been in bits. I know the age I’m at, this could be my last chance to go to the World Cup.
“I couldn’t get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today. We spoke so much about the World Cup.
“He missed out last time because of injury, I missed out because Scotland didn’t qualify and we always discussed what it would be like going to the World Cup.
“I was in a bit of trouble in my room earlier. I think I hid it well from the boys. I know he’ll be somewhere smiling over me tonight. I couldn’t get him out of my head all day.”
Slot was asked about the impact that Jota’s passing has had on the squad, with Liverpool having struggled to replicate last season’s performances. Though refusing to directly relate results with the devastating loss, he admitted the impact on his players and staff is ‘impossible to measure’.
“It is good for us to remember him [Diogo Jota] at all times it is possible because of the person and player he was,” he said at his pre-Nottingham Forest press conference.
“It is impossible to measure what it does to the players and to our results. The last thing I would do is use it as an excuse.
“I don’t know. What I do know is that we miss the player, that is 100% sure, and we miss the person, but I cannot measure the impact that has on our results.
“That is impossible for me to say and we will never use it as an excuse.”
Read – Premier League talking points ahead of the weekend
See more – The Premier League teams set to be most impacted by AFCON
