Darwin Nunez injury latest as Jurgen Klopp decision pays off for Liverpool
Here’s your Liverpool morning recap for Sunday 19th February.
Jurgen Klopp makes Darwin Nunez injury admission
Jurgen Klopp has revealed Darwin Nunez needs further investigation after he was substituted off with a shoulder injury in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
The Uruguayan opened the scoring for the Reds early on after finishing well after a high pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold up front. But he was substituted just before the hour mark after landing awkwardly on his shoulder, despite initially trying to play on.
Liverpool are at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday night before heading to Crystal Palace next Saturday.
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And speaking to reporters after the final whistle, Klopp admitted the striker’s injury after the painful blow is in doubt.
“The bad news is that Darwin has something on his shoulder,” the German told reporters. “We’ll see. I don’t know what he whistled at in that situation, to be honest against him.”
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Darwin Nunez has found his best position at Liverpool
When Liverpool first lost Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota to long-term injuries in October, Jurgen Klopp initially moved between different formations and different players down the left without much luck while the Reds’ inconsistency continued.
In desperation, he turned to Darwin Nunez in November. The former Benfica man rewarded such a decision with an away assist at Spurs before scoring a brace at home to Southampton in Liverpool’s last game before the 2022 World Cup.
Back then, the decision to play the Uruguayan there was just a stopgap. After all, the £64m man had been signed as a striker, while Diaz was poised to return in time for the Premier League restart and Jota not too far behind. But then the Colombian had to undergo knee surgery and the Reds fell short in attack.
Klopp responded by signing Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven in January, bringing in the left winger for an initial £37million. And while it raised questions about who would start once all Liverpool’s options were fit again, the Dutchman’s arrival at least suggested Nunez’s time at left flank was up.
But while he would indeed return to a central berth after the restart and initially after Gakpo’s arrival, Klopp has had other ideas in recent weeks, despite raised eyebrows. Unleashing a new triumvirate with the Dutchman now in the middle and Nunez on the left alongside Mohamed Salah, Liverpool are beginning to see a method in madness.
Against Everton, it was the Uruguayan’s blistering pace down the left that set up Salah’s opener, with the striker constantly struggling to carry the ball forward and slice inside. In truth, his performance was just one goal shy as he watched his two fellow strikers score with Gakpo and also opened his account for the club.
Nunez clearly didn’t want a repeat and would need just 10 minutes to score against Newcastle on Saturday night. He brought Trent Alexander-Arnold’s chipped ball forward and brought it down well before firing an unstoppable punch home.
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