Arne Slot has stated that Darwin Nunez is not a viable No.9 option for Liverpool, despite Diogo Jota’s injury.
During the first few months of the season, Jota was Slot’s preferred central striker in his 4-3-3 system. However, the Portuguese forward will be sidelined for some time after injuring himself during the 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
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His injury appears to be a major opportunity for Nunez, who started up front in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal. However, Slot has questioned his suitability for the post ahead of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup clash with Brighton on Wednesday evening.
“It is a pity that Jota is not available,” Slot told reporters. “And [Federico] Chiesa is also not available as they were, in my opinion, the most logical No .9s, but we still have other options.”
Nunez has played centrally and off the left wing for Liverpool since signing from Benfica for £85 million in June 2022. He has 35 goals and 19 assists in 106 outings across all competitions so far, although his position in the team is unknown.
“I think about Darwin, I gave him credit for the fact he worked so hard in previous weeks when he didn’t play a lot to be able to play three games in a row,” Slot told me. “I think three games in eight days, so that means that says a lot about him, but it also says a lot about the quality of our performance and medical team that we were able to provide him with the necessary sessions to prepare him properly.
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