Darwin Nunez, who was not selected for Uruguay’s team for their June international matches, can make the most of the summer break.
Nunez was not named in Marcelo Bielsa’s first Uruguay squad for their friendlies against Nicaragua and Cuba this month – a personal disappointment but a boost for the Reds.
Due to an injury, Liverpool’s No. 27 was unable to represent his nation during the March international break and will now be absent for a second straight match.
Nunez was not named in Marcelo Bielsa’s first Uruguay squad for their friendlies against Nicaragua and Cuba this month – a personal disappointment but a boost for the Reds.
The forward missed the last three games of the season due to a toe injury, which played its part in the decision despite Nunez having returned to training prior to the trip to Southampton
The 23-year-old had “trained fully” in the lead-up to the Reds’ season finale but did not take his place in the matchday squad on the south coast.
Nunez will therefore miss the chance to impress his new international boss, who has selected a young, inexperienced team for the summer.
Bielsa has also left out the likes of Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur, Jose Maria Gimenez and former Liverpool target Manuel Ugarte, as he looks to assess his options beyond the big names.
Nunez’s last involvement for his country came during the World Cup, with his final group appearance notching his 16th cap, though only nine have been as part of the starting XI.
However, he will have to wait another six weeks before Liverpool resume preseason on July 8 because of Fabinho, who also had a vacation after being passed over for Brazil.
The Uruguayan had to overcome a number of obstacles in his rookie season, but his performance of 15 goals and five assists is more than commendable. Nevertheless, he still has room for development.
The biggest is to start mastering the English language, with Klopp then hoping the rest can quickly fall into place.
Back in April, the manager said: “He has to learn English, that’s how it is, we can translate everything but in training sessions, we cannot have four languages translated.”
