Darwin Nunez red card suspension: How many games will Liverpool forward miss? How long will he be out?
Liverpool’s rocky start to the Premier League season continued as they went winless after two games, with valuable new signing Darwin Nunez receiving a red card.
The Reds managed just a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Anfield on Monday to continue with the 2-2 result they salvaged in Fulham during the opening weekend.
And with star striker Nunez getting his marching orders, Jurgen Klopp’s side now face a complication after falling four points behind Manchester City in the title race.
The sports news analyzes everything you need to know about the Uruguayan forward’s red card.
MORE: Liverpool vs Crystal Palace result: Luis Diaz saves point after Darwin Nunez red card
Why did Darwin Nunez get a red card?
Referee Paul Tierney showed Nunez a straight red card in the 57th minute after striker headbutted Palace defender Joachim Andersen, with the Reds 1-0 down at the time.
After being shoved from behind by Andersen, Nunez turned and headbutted the Danish centre-back, knocking him to the ground.
There was no doubt that Tierney was right to show the Uruguayan a red card.
It ended a nightmare debut at Anfield for Nunez, who struggled to influence the game before leaving his team with 10 men and one goal behind.
Luckily for him, Liverpool equalized through Luis Diaz four minutes after his red card, but the Reds would probably have won had they had their full line-up on the pitch.
“I can’t believe how he thinks he’s getting away with this!” 😤@Carra23 and @GNev2 Take a closer look at Darwin Núñez’s moment of madness as the Liverpool native was sent off 🟥 pic.twitter.com/thQh0HwLda
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 15, 2022
What did Jürgen Klopp say about Darwin Nunez’s red card?
“Then got the red card – now of course it’s a red card and it happened,” said Klopp after the game. “It was provoked all the time, but he shouldn’t behave like that.
“He knows that now [that he let his teammates down] I will talk with him. There’s no point in talking about it too much in public now. you see it It’s absolutely not the reaction you want to see.
“The challenge from central defense – they will do that to him. They want him. He’s a handful himself. That’s not the reaction.
“I don’t know how long he will be suspended. This is the situation. So we will use it for physical work [for Nunez]. Not as a punishment, but to make him stronger. And we’re going to try.”
How long is Darwin Nunez’s suspension?
Nunez is likely to be banned for at least three England internationals for headbutting Andersen, with the offense being ruled ‘violent behaviour’.
The FA may decide to impose further penalties but it is unlikely to be the player’s first red-card offense this season.
Which games will Darwin Nunez miss?
If he receives the controversial three-game ban, Nunez will miss the blockbuster derby against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday August 22 – both teams are aiming for their first win of the Premier League season.
The Uruguayan will also miss Premier League games against Bournemouth (home) and Newcastle (home).
He would return for the Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park on September 3.
How will Liverpool replace Darwin Nunez?
While the Reds’ squad is awash with attacking options, Nunez’s replacement will be a challenge due to injury woes.
Diogo Jota will be unavailable for the Manchester United game due to a troublesome hamstring injury last season.
Roberto Firmino missed the Palace game as a ‘precautionary measure’ as the exact nature of his injury is currently unknown.
However, with a full week between Palace and United games, the Brazilian could be available.
Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz will be available as two of the three attackers.