Carragher claims Liverpool 24-year-old ‘needs to be on the pitch’ ahead of ‘fortunate’ teammate

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Jamie Carragher told CBS Sports during their live coverage of Liverpool’s win against RB Leipzig on Wednesday night that Diogo Jota ‘needs’ to start games now.

The Sky pundit claimed that Roberto Firmino has been ‘fortunate’ in the sense that Jota has been on the sidelines for the past few months because he was on the ‘verge’ of breaking the regular trio.

Jota started up front for Liverpool last night, as Jurgen Klopp’s men progressed through to the quarter-finals, with Jota producing an assist and a strong display.

Given Liverpool’s troubles in the Premier League, especially in the final third, Carragher thinks it’s now time to unleash their summer signing.

“Jota adds a bigger goal threat than Firmino does,” said Carragher. “With Jota in there, it’s an extra bit of pace. Maybe decision-making in certain situations.

On whether Jota needs to start every game: “Yes, I mean I have been calling for that a while. I think Firmino has been fortunate that Jota has been out for so long because I think he was on the verge of breaking that front three up, really.

“It’s just interesting that he went central tonight. I think, at the weekend, it was Salah who went through the middle and Jota was in a wide position,

“But Jota is a bigger goal threat, right at this moment. We know Firmino brings other things.

“But to just think that Liverpool need to get as many goalscorers as possible on the pitch because the midfield players don’t score, the fullbacks create and they have lost Van Dijk. Jota needs to be on that pitch.”

Before Jota’s injury, he was threatening to break Liverpool’s front three, with his performances forcing Klopp to play four up top away at Manchester City.

Now that the versatile attacker is back on the pitch, if he can rediscover that form then it has to be questioned how Firmino, who is currently out injured, gets back into the side.

This Liverpool team needs refreshing after suffering blow after blow in the Premier League and someone like Jota might just be that guy to bring back that missing spark, which was on show in Budapest.