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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Freddie Keighley

Liverpool set to reap the rewards of proactive transfer strategy in Chelsea warning

Liverpool enjoyed another memorable European victory on Wednesday by striking two late goals to defeat Inter Milan - but Jurgen Klopp confessed it was not a perfect night.

Roberto Firmino came off the bench to open the scoring with a glancing header in the 75th minute before Mohamed Salah doubled the lead with a deflected effort.

Klopp was delighted with the performance and the fact his side will take a commanding advantage into the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

However, he tempered his optimism by confirming Diogo Jota would require "further assessment" on the ankle injury which prompted Firmino's half-time introduction in his place.

In a fresh update on Friday, Klopp confessed the in-form Portuguese ace is a major doubt to feature in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea at the end of February.

Will Liverpool defeat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final? Have your say in the comments!

Jota is Liverpool's second-top scorer this season with 17 goals in 32 appearances, and he did an impressive job of spearheading the attack while Salah and Sadio Mane were away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Losing a player of such importance ahead of a cup final is news which would understandably rock even the most unflappable of dressing rooms and fanbases.

Liverpool supporters can rightly shudder at the painful memory of losing Jota for two months last season after he suffered a significant knee injury against Midtjylland.

While the prognosis seems less serious this time round - although still unclear - there is no such panic about the prospect of going without the 25-year-old for a number of games.

This is chiefly due to Liverpool's proactive decision to strengthen their attack in the January transfer window with the £50million purchase of Luis Diaz.

The Colombia winger's arrival means the Reds have a wealth of options pushing Mane, Firmino and Salah for minutes even in Jota's absence.

Diaz caught the eye as he made his first Premier League start in the 2-0 victory over Leicester, and he has looked equally bright while coming off the bench against Inter as well as Cardiff in the FA Cup.

Luis Diaz's arrival in January has eased the blow of Diogo Jota's injury (AFP via Getty Images)

With Harvey Elliott, Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi also vying for minutes, it is no surprise Klopp claims he has the "best squad" he has ever had.

The German will expect fireworks from whichever front three he picks against Norwich on Saturday as Liverpool host the team with the worst defensive record in the league.

And, whether Jota is available to feature at Wembley or not, the Reds are well positioned to cause Chelsea's backline all sorts of bother on Sunday 27 February.

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