Darwin Nunez is a surprise absentee from Liverpool’s squad for their Premier League match against Wolves on Saturday evening, with the striker not even named on the bench.
Arne Slot has made 10 changes to his starting lineup for the clash at Molineux, with Diogo Jota the only player retained from the 5-1 victory over West Ham in midweek.
Jota was expected to start up front, having been substituted early in the second half of that Carabao Cup match.
However, Nunez was initially expected to drop out of the starting lineup, allowing Mohamed Salah and Luis Díaz to return to Slot’s attacking setup.
Instead, Nunez has been left out entirely, with the club confirming his absence is due to illness.
This leaves Federico Chiesa and Cody Gakpo as Slot’s only attacking options on the bench, with Wataru Endo benefitting from Nunez’s absence.
This is Nunez’s first missed game since Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Southampton in last season’s FA Cup fifth round.
Previously, he missed three games, including the Carabao Cup final, due to a muscle injury in February.
Both the player and the manager are likely frustrated, as Nunez has shown promising form in recent weeks.
He scored in the 3-0 win over Bournemouth in the league and provided an assist for Gakpo in the 5-1 victory against West Ham, playing the full 90 minutes in that match.
Jota, who played as a No. 10 against West Ham, will take up the central striker role against his former club, with Salah and Díaz operating on the wings.
Read more: Confirmed Liverpool starting line-up v Wolves
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