Jota says his lengthy knee injury recovery has left him stronger after returning to Celtic Park action in Celtic’s 7-1 Scottish Premiership win over Hearts, Sky Sports reported.
The Portuguese winger’s comeback adds another option for Celtic as they prepare to visit Hibernian on October 25, following a victory that restored their winning momentum.
The 27-year-old entered at halftime on October 18. In his interview with Sky Sports, he described renewed appreciation for training and playing after 18 months out.
He said his love of football sustained his rehabilitation, even when progress was difficult, and that stepping away had changed how he viewed his career.
Jota emphasized that returning fully healthy mattered more than rushing. He rejected the idea that the absence represented lost time, saying he had grown through it.
His return comes with a limit on his immediate availability: he is not included in Celtic’s Europa League squad, according to the report published October 19.
The former Benfica winger also experienced difficult spells at Al Ittihad and Rennes between his two periods with Celtic.
That makes the domestic schedule particularly relevant to his next opportunities. Celtic face Celta Vigo in Europe on Thursday before their league visit to Hibernian.
The Hearts victory also brought a substantial shift in Celtic’s form. Sky’s separate Premiership report said they had gone five games without winning before Sunday.
Celtic scored five times before halftime against opponents who had lost only once in their previous 14 matches across all competitions.
The result left Celtic four points clear at the top. Rangers had earlier missed an opportunity to lead the table, drawing 2-2 away to Dundee.
Callum Osmand scored twice on his first Celtic start. Benjamin Nygren and Camilo Duran also scored, rewarding the decision to start that attacking trio.
All three had finished Thursday’s 4-1 Europa League defeat at Benfica. Their selection carried that attacking combination into the league meeting with Hearts.
Set pieces helped establish Celtic’s early control, with Hearts conceding from two of the hosts’ first three set pieces. The hosts were already commanding proceedings within 10 minutes.
Hibernian offer a different immediate backdrop to Jota’s domestic return. Their 2-1 defeat by Falkirk left them bottom after six league games without victory.
New Hibernian coach Marink Reedijk has lost his opening two matches in charge. Celtic’s visit is his next scheduled league assignment.
Hibernian then face Hearts in a League Cup semifinal on November 1.
