Media in Uruguay have spoken out about Darwin Nunez after the Liverpool star was taken off early during the international match against Brazil.
On Tuesday, Brazil and Uruguay faced off in a qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup in Salvador, Brazil.
The match ended as a 1-1 draw with goals from Uruguayan Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde and Brazil's Gerson.
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Liverpool striker Nunez started the match for the visitors but was taken off over half-time, and now Uruguayan media have revealed exactly why.
After a goalless first half, Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa decided to replace Nunez with Rodrigo Aguirre as he had been ineffective in the match up until the break.
Uruguayan media later confirmed that the substitution had been a tactical decision and that the 25-year-old had not suffered an injury early in the game.
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Local outlet El Observador rated the striker's performance as a five out of ten, praising his defensive working while noting that he did not have a single shot on goal, in part due to a lack of service from his teammates.
Uruguayan newspaper El Pais also handed Nunez the same rating for his performance in the match, writing: "Good work with his back to the goal.
"Precise in his first touches. He came off after 45 minutes of the first half."
Liverpool fans will be happy to see that their man up front only played half of the match on Tuesday as it remains likely that he will start for their trip to St Mary's Stadium to face Southampton on Sunday.
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After traveling to Southampton, Liverpool will face a tough set of fixtures including back to back home matches against has Real Madrid in the Champions League and Manchester City in the Premier League.
With Diogo Jota still recovering from an injury sustained during the match with Chelsea, it is likely that Nunez will start, or at least feature, in all three of Liverpool's next matches.
Speaking before the international break, Arne Slot confirmed when Jota is expected to return, saying: “We expect him back after the break. The first weeks after the break,
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“I always say there is privacy about the injury.
“He will be back one or two weeks after the break.”
Topics: Liverpool, Darwin Nunez, Uruguay, Brazil, Premier League, Football
Ben McCrum