Darwin Nunez Could Miss Out on Liverpool’s Merseyside Derby Against Everton
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez could be a doubt to start against Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday, after suffering cramp late on for Uruguay in their 2-0 win over Brazil. Nunez scored the first and assisted the second in the historic victory, but his involvement in the derby is now in doubt due to the cramping and the long-haul flight back from Uruguay.
Nunez’s Injury History
This isn’t the first time Nunez has picked up a minor concern while on international duty. Last month, he was subbed off with “muscular difficulties” during Uruguay’s 3-1 win over Colombia, but was able to come on for the final 34 minutes of the 3-1 win at Wolves just three days later.
Klopp’s Previous Decisions
Jurgen Klopp opted to rest both Nunez and Luis Diaz for similar reasons after the last international break, while his call to start Alexis Mac Allister against Wolves was widely seen as an error. With injuries and suspensions ruling out Cody Gakpo, Ben Doak, Curtis Jones and Thiago, Klopp will have to make a difficult decision when it comes to selecting his starting lineup against Everton.
Likely Starting Lineup
Klopp is more likely to start Diaz alongside Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota in attack, with Nunez not expected to miss out but realistically starting on the bench. The availability of Ryan Gravenberch, who was not called up by the Netherlands for so-called disciplinary reasons, makes resting Mac Allister more feasible. Dominik Szoboszlai could be joined by any of Gravenberch, Wataru Endo or Harvey Elliott in the two remaining spots in midfield.
Conclusion
With Nunez suffering from cramp late on for Uruguay and a lack of recovery and training time due to the long-haul flight back from Uruguay, it looks increasingly likely that he will not start against Everton on Saturday. Klopp will have to make a difficult decision when it comes to selecting his starting lineup for the Merseyside derby, but it seems that Nunez will not be involved from the start.