Darwin Nunez offers sad response to his Liverpool struggles when quizzed on international duty in the wake of Champions League exit and Carabao cup loss
Darwin Nunez has admitted he wants to ‘forget’ his struggles at Liverpool during the international break with his national team Uruguay.
The 25-year-old endures a complicated season in Arne Slot’s squad, finding the net only seven times in 40 appearances this season.
The international break came at the best time for the Uruguayan after he missed a crucial shot in the penalty shootout against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League – followed by a devastating 1-2 loss by Newcastle in the Carabao cup final.
Arriving in Montevideo preparing for a challenging game against Argentina, the Reds striker spoke about the ‘tough weeks’ he recently suffered.
‘To forget a little about what’s happening there, and besides, there’s nothing more beautiful for a player than wearing your country’s jersey,’ Nunez told El Pais.
‘I’m happy thinking about the national team, enjoying every minute with it – these are moments that one goes through in football.
Darwin Nunez has admitted he wants to ‘forget’ his recent struggles at Liverpool following the Reds’ Champions League exit and Carabao cup loss
The Uruguay international revealed he suffered some ‘tough weeks’ following his open-goal miss against Aston Villa and wasted penalty with Paris Saint-Germain
The 25-year-old striker has admitted his performance is not up to the Premier League leaders’ level
‘And as I said recently: I’m not someone who throws in the towel because they don’t play, but rather I’m going to keep working so I can play.
Although some fans had high expectations at the start of the season, Darwin could not convince Slot of his abilities, remaining an irregular player for the starting squad.
The 25-year-old appeared in the starting lineup only on eight occasions out of his 23 Premier League games.
‘I know I’m not performing as well as I should,’ he continued. ‘It’s difficult because when you’re doing well, like when I came on against PSG (providing the assist for Harvey Elliott’s goal), your confidence changes, with the idea of being able to break it in the next match.
‘But then you get a slump, and I’m always there to help my teammates come back to the national team.’
Describing the lack of goals compared to his attacking team-mates, Nunez said: ‘The ball doesn’t want to go in. Let him run a lot, [I] play well, and then [I am] not able to score a goal.
In February, Slot criticised the Uruguayan for his behaviour after missing a clear-cut chance against Aston Villa.
The match concluded with 2-2, and following Nunez’s golden opportunity waste, the Dutch manager claimed he was upset at how his work-rate dipped thereafter.
Last month, Arne Slot admitted Nunez’s disappointing misses got ‘too much in his head’
On Friday, the 25-year-old is set to face Argentina with his Liverpool team-mate Alexis Mac Allister
Slot insisted that the striker’s dismay at his disappointing moment got ‘too much in his head’.
His penalty attempt against Paris Saint-Germain could have ended a spectacular clash at Anfield and qualified the Reds for the next stage of the Champions League.
An overwhelmed Liverpool then took on Newcastle but could not find their game until the late stages, when Federico Chiesa got on the scoresheet in the 94th minute.
However, on Friday, Nunez is set to face his team-mate Alexis Mac Allister’s Argentina, who will miss their leader Lionel Messi due to a minor injury.
‘We spoke with Mac Allister because I had told him the other day that they were going to play at Boca Juniors’ stadium and were going to lose (that day Argentina lost 2-0 to Uruguay), he added.
‘Now, I don’t want him to look at me so he doesn’t jeer at me.’
