CELTIC had to do without some of their biggest names as they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat to Hearts on Sunday.
And they’ve had to do without key man Jota for the whole season so far.
The winger, 26, completed a stunning return to Celtic in January just 18 months after leaving the Hoops in a mega money deal to Saudi Arabia.
Jota enjoyed a dream return to the club when he scored on his comeback game in a 3-1 win at Motherwell.
But disaster struck against Dundee United in late April with Jota suffering a horror knee injury.
Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers subsequently confirmed he’d be missing for up to NINE MONTHS.
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Going by that timescale, Jota won’t be expected back in action until February at the earliest.
In his absence, Celtic have been toiling.
Amid a sea of fan unrest towards the board, the Celts have fallen eight points behind Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
As well as Jota, Celtic were without Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston, Daizen Maeda and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Jota has been forced to watch on from the stands this season and has been regularly watching his teammates in action.
Now, he’s been spotted out and about in Glasgow at one his favourite haunts.
Jota has been back at La Lanterna West End, a popular Italian restaurant in the city.
The eatery shared a picture of Jota alongside head chef Luca.
The Celtic winger can be seen sporting a striking new look, with his hair bleach blonde and shorter than when he was last out on the park.
In the social media post, La Lanterna West End said: “We had the pleasure of hosting João Pedro Neves Filipe, known as Jota, the talented winger from Celtic!
“Your visit brought such excitement and energy to our restaurant. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to see you back soon for more delicious moments and see you back on the field soon.”
The Great Western Road spot has become hugely popular with Glasgow’s top football stars.
Celtic and Rangers players are regular visitors to the restaurant.
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Rangers hero Peter Lovenkrands recently dined with Celts goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, while legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson also popped in.
Reo Hatate, Nicolas Raskin, Daizen Maeda and Ianis Hagi are some of the others to have enjoyed a meal at the restaurant.
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