Jota breaks silence on Celtic injury as Hoops fans await return

Jota breaks silence as Celtic return moves closer

Celtic winger Jota has opened up on his football development while continuing his lengthy rehabilitation from an ACL injury.

The Portuguese star was speaking as part of celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Benfica Campus, the training complex where he developed as a youngster.

Jota remains hugely fond of his time in Benfica’s academy and described the club’s training base as the “Disneyland of football”, highlighting the role it played in his development.

He said there was “no better place in the world to evolve” and explained that his experiences elsewhere had not changed his view of the environment that helped shape him as a player.

The appearance comes as Jota continues to work towards his long-awaited Celtic comeback.

The 27-year-old has been sidelined since suffering an ACL injury during Celtic’s visit to Tannadice in April 2025. The serious setback ruled him out for the entirety of the following season and has kept him away from competitive action for an extended period.

Much of Jota’s rehabilitation initially took place in Lisbon before he returned to Celtic’s Lennoxtown training base in July.

His work has now moved towards the later stages of his recovery, with the focus increasingly on building him back up for a return to first-team football.

Martin O’Neill had previously suggested that supporters might have to wait until around Halloween before seeing Jota back in action. However, his recent progress has provided some optimism that he could potentially return earlier than initially anticipated.

Celtic are reportedly targeting the October 11 trip to Motherwell as a possible date for Jota to be included in the matchday squad, although any involvement is expected to be carefully managed given the length and seriousness of his lay-off.

Assistant manager Shaun Maloney also provided an encouraging update last month, revealing that Jota has been working extremely hard during his recovery.

Maloney stressed, however, that the winger still has a number of important stages to complete before he can safely return to competitive football.

With Jota continuing to step up his rehabilitation, Celtic supporters will be hoping the long wait to see the winger back in the Hoops is finally approaching its end.