Jota urges patience after Celtic comeback from long-term knee injury

Jota has said he will not hurry his return to full match fitness after making two appearances for Celtic following a lengthy knee-injury absence. According to BBC Sport, the 27-year-old Portuguese winger believes the period away from football has made him stronger, while his priority remains recovering properly rather than meeting a rushed timetable.

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The winger suffered cruciate ligament damage in April 2025 and returned in Celtic's 2-0 victory at Motherwell on 11 October. Celtic's match report recorded that appearance as his first in 533 days and his 100th for the club. He replaced Tounekti in the second half and nearly created a late goal when his cross reached Oliver Sørensen, whose header was saved by Alex Paulsen.

His comeback continued at Celtic Park on Sunday, when he came off the bench in the 7-1 Scottish Premiership win over Hearts. The club's report confirmed that Martin O'Neill introduced him at half-time in place of Callum Osmand. It was Jota's first appearance on the home pitch in well over a year, following the initial return away at Fir Park.

Speaking about the layoff, Jota described difficult periods but said they had also allowed him to reassess what mattered to him. BBC Sport reported that he credited his love of football with sustaining his daily work towards fitness. He said he did not regard the time as wasted, explaining that the experience had helped him develop a clearer understanding of himself and his ambitions.

That account followed a club interview published on 16 October in which Jota discussed the uncertainty of being unable to play. He described taking encouragement from small daily improvements during rehabilitation. Reflecting on his decision to return to Celtic, he said he had wanted a familiar environment where he had been happy and could express himself as a player.

For now, his playing opportunities are limited to domestic competitions because he is not included in Celtic's Europa League squad, BBC Sport reported. Celtic host Celta Vigo on Thursday, but Jota's immediate task remains rebuilding his match fitness through the opportunities available to him. He said he still considers himself young, with a long career ahead, and wants to take the time needed to complete that process correctly.