JOTA’S DREAM RETURN RECEIVES FRESH BLOW

Jota’s Celtic return dream scuppered despite injury comeback progress

Celtic winger Jota is edging closer to a long-awaited return to competitive football, but one potential comeback opportunity has already been ruled out.

The Portuguese attacker has spent around 17 months on the sidelines after suffering a serious ACL injury during Celtic’s title-clinching victory over Dundee United at Tannadice in April 2025.

However, there is growing optimism around his recovery, with Jota making encouraging progress during his rehabilitation at Lennoxtown.

Martin O’Neill is now considering arranging a behind-closed-doors friendly to assess just how close the 27-year-old is to returning to first-team action.

A positive performance in that fixture could accelerate his comeback, with the winger potentially returning earlier than the original expectation of late October.

O’Neill recently provided an upbeat assessment of Jota’s recovery, revealing that the winger has been involved in small-sided games and is progressing well.

The Celtic boss said Jota could be ready sooner than he had initially expected, although he also stressed that the winger had not yet been pushed to his limits.

That next stage of his rehabilitation will be crucial as Celtic assess whether he can safely return to competitive football.

Jota won’t face Benfica

Despite his progress, one dream scenario has already disappeared.

Jota will not be available when Celtic face Benfica in the Europa League on October 15.

Even if the winger makes a remarkably quick recovery and returns to action before then, he was not included in O’Neill’s 25-man Europa League squad.

That means there will be no emotional reunion with his former club in Portugal when Celtic travel to face Benfica.

Jota originally joined Celtic on loan from Benfica in August 2021 before completing a permanent £6.5million transfer the following summer.

He later left Glasgow for Al-Ittihad in a deal worth around £25million in June 2023, but his spell in Saudi Arabia did not work out as planned.

After a brief stint at Rennes, Jota returned to Celtic in January 2025 for around £8.5million before the ACL injury brought his season to an abrupt end.

Celtic face selection headache

If Jota does make a full return, O’Neill will have another attacking selection dilemma on his hands.

Celtic already have several options competing for the wide positions, including Haissem Hassan, Sebastian Tounekti, Yang Hyun-jun and veteran winger James Forrest.

Camilo Duran has also been used from the right flank, particularly when Kasper Høgh has occupied the central striker position.

Jota’s return would therefore give O’Neill another significant attacking weapon, but it would also leave the Celtic boss with some difficult decisions over how to fit his best forwards into the same XI.

For now, though, the priority is simply getting Jota back to full fitness.

Celtic’s next league fixture after the international break is against Motherwell at Fir Park on October 11, which could potentially provide a target for Jota’s return to the matchday squad.

But one thing is already certain: whatever happens with his rehabilitation, the winger’s hoped-for reunion with Benfica in the Europa League will not happen.