HOT JOT SPARES BLUSHES

Diogo nets Reds’ historic 10,000th goal as they struggle to see off Danish minnows

DIOGO JOTA carved his name in the Anfield record books with the landmark 10,000th goal in Liverpool’s history.

But if that was the highlight of a night when the Reds secured their second win i n th e Champions League, to take control of their group, then there was more misery for boss Jurgen Klopp with yet another defensive injury.

This time it was Fabinho who limped out of the fray on the half-hour with another injur y, as he trudged off holding the back of his leg.

It is a nightmare for the Reds manager (left), who now has just one fit senior centrehalf at the club… and even lost potential stand-in Jordan Henderson at half time, after he took a whack on his ankle in a physical confrontation with Midtjylland.

At least £45million summer signing Jota provided some relief f or Liverpool on a poor night for the club, as they struggled to impose themselves on their Danish opponents.

He rounded off a fine move crafted by Trent AlexanderArnold, to at least spare the blush e s on a di stinctly underwhelming evening.

Liverpool were desperately poor in the first half, their replacement front three looking no match for Mo Salah , Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, who were all rested.

But it was at the other end of the pitch that the misery really occurred, half an hour into the game, with that injury for Fabinho, which sends shockwaves through Liverpool’s season.

It means they are down to Joe Gomez in central defence and have only one more centre-half over the age of 19, with Nathaniel Phillips at 23 looking the next in line.

He has played just one game for the Reds, though, with Fabinho’s 19-year-old replacement last night, Rhys Williams, making two starts, and 17-year-old Billy Koumetio not yet one.

If Fabinho faces a spell out, Klopp would normally press

he ran back to cover, but it leaves Klopp with a headache of migrain e prop or tions, which Gini Wijnaldum may have to cure. It could have been even worse in the first half, when visiting striker Anders Dreyer was sent through by a fine ball from Joel Andersson, but he lacked conviction and Alisson saved well.

Liverpool, for their part, created little, but eventually the plucky visitors fr om Denmark tired, and allowed new-boy Jota to write a little piece of Anfield history with that landmark Reds goal.

It would have been more fitting though, had Alexander-arnold scored it, a local boy etching his name in club legend… and he did most of the work for the goal.

A crisp one-two with th Xherdan Shaqiri saw him m dash into the box, and he re a l ly c o u l d h av e s h ot o t himself, with a big gap at the he near post. But he unselfishly y pulled the ball back for the e Portugal international , who accepted the gift with some glee offering small relief for suffering Liverpool fans.

Substitute Salah (with Roberto Firmino, right) added a second in injury y time from the spot after he wa s bro u g h t d own by Paulinho’s challenge.