Jota confesses Celtic injury lay off left him feeling 'empty' as he reveals hardest part of recovery journey

Jota returned to Celtic action after 533 days out with a cruciate ligament injury, describing the mental toll of his recovery as the hardest part.

Portuguese winger Jota made his long-awaited return as a substitute in Celtic's 2-0 win over Motherwell last weekend, marking his first top-team action in 18 months since tearing his cruciate ligament at Tannadice in April 2025. The appearance was his 100th for the club across two spells. Jota revealed the psychological challenge of his recovery was harder than the physical rehabilitation, describing feeling "empty" during his 533-day absence and struggling with the loss of daily football that had defined his life since childhood. He emphasized that gradual daily improvement kept him motivated through the lengthy process.