Darwin Núñez Could Seize International Opportunity
The stage could be set for the Uruguayan to make his entrance in Arne Slot’s team.
Liverpool are cruising, with Arne Slot’s clean sheet kings one goal away from being top of the table and of course, that means it’s international break time, because heaven forbid the players get into any sort of rhythm before being scattered to all corners of the earth.
Only two of the 20 players that were involved against Manchester United on Sunday will not partake in some level of international football during the upcoming week, and a number of youth players also have dates set with their respective nations.
Of the two that are staying put, Joe Gomez and Darwin Núñez, the latter is the one with the most to gain.
The Uruguayan has yet to start under Arne Slot this season, with the Dutchman preferring the industry and versatility of Diogo Jota over the athleticism and goal threat represented by the former Benfica man, but with Núñez set to stay on Merseyside due to a five-match international ban following the fracas at the Copa America, this could be a golden opportunity to increase his understanding of Slot’s system and the demands of the striker role in it.
Diogo Jota has not been bad as the Reds have impressed in the opening stanza of the campaign, but with one goal and one assist to his name, he has taken a clear back seat to Mohamed Salah and Luis Díaz. He has not been clinical either, putting only a single one of his eight shots so far on frame, and seeing his touches and passes per 90 minutes drop by 37% and 47%, respectively, he has not been impacting games as much outside the goalmouth.
Arriving late to the squad following’s Uruguay’s deep run in the Copa America, Darwin was always going to be at a disadvantage to the more savvy and adaptable Portuguese, but the 25-year old — who has contributed 51 goals and assists in his first 98 games in Red, averaging one every 107 minutes — offers a world class package of dynamism and goal threat, and an opportunity to put in uninterrupted work with his new manager for a few weeks should have both men desperate to make it count.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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