Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has withdrawn from the Uruguay squad due to injury.
The 24-year-old was included in Marcelo Bielsa’s selection for friendly clashes with the Basque Country and France during the upcoming international break.
However, he will not take part after sustaining a hamstring issue during the Reds’ 4-3 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.
After the game, Jurgen Klopp said: “We had some problems. Lucho (Luis Diaz) felt his groin, Darwin his hamstring, hopefully it is not. And Cody Gakpo has twisted his ankle I think. I didn’t see it back, so we have to see.
“I don’t know when they play their first game but probably in four or five days, it’s a crazy schedule. Let’s hope they can get through that and then the rest of the season starts.”
This Is Anfield understands that, despite his withdrawal from international duty, there is hope that Nunez will not hand Klopp another fitness setback.
It is thought that the striker’s minor issue will have settled by the time Liverpool face Brighton at Anfield on March 31.
It remains to be seen if the same can be said of Diaz, who reported for Colombia duty on Monday despite discomfort in his groin.
Gakpo, meanwhile, has not yet withdrawn from the Netherlands squad.
Liverpool will hope for positive news on both players amid a further clearing of the treatment room ahead of the run-in.
Barring any setbacks, Curtis Jones will return to the squad against Brighton (March 31), while Diogo Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson Becker are not too far behind in their recoveries.
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It wasn’t to be for Liverpool once again at Old Trafford, but a marker was laid down for an even bigger trip to come in three weeks’ time.
Despite their ongoing decline since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, Liverpool have often struggled to get the better of their enemies at the other end of the M62.
A total of 9,000 made the trip to see if we could buck the trend and book a place at Wembley for the second time this season, on a day which held so much promise from the outset.
A day filled with potentialWe headed towards Manchester in a car of four shortly after midday, with the favourites tag feeling like more of a burden on the shoulders than a blessing.
With so much of the top flight littered with teams based down south, it is one of the shortest trips you can make as an away supporter.
It leaves you with less time to ponder the possibilities – both good and bad – but I personally looked at the bookmakers’ odds that morning and can confess that it left me feeling uneasy.
We arrived around an hour-and-a-half before kickoff, and given the fact we’ve become used to not anticipating a hospitable welcome from the locals we headed straight into the ground and onto a vibrant concourse.
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[embedded content]The increased allocation meant that plenty who are often unable to attend away games got an opportunity to experience a big one, and plenty were keen to make the most of it.
Wataru Endo‘s new song has been quick to catch on having circulated on social media in recent weeks, and that was by far the most popular tune in the buildup to kickoff.
Luis Diaz was also serenaded from the bar, but as we took to our seats those lingering doubts began to circle in my brain again.
Those doubts intensified when the hosts made a surprisingly positive start, with their fans clearly up for the fight having been humiliated by us on a number of occasions in recent years.
Emotional rollercoasterThe goal was a hammer blow, and precisely the sort of thing the manager will have been talking about avoiding in the dressing room before we got underway.
The Reds did then get themselves a foothold in the game and started to demonstrate the gulf in quality that has become unquestionable across the past few seasons.
We needed to make it count before the break, but what we got was beyond anything we could have hoped for.
It is hard to beat goals before half-time, particularly in a tough away ground. It might in fact be my favourite time to score a goal in those circumstances.
Having been teased with a disallowed equaliser earlier on, Alexis Mac Allister sent us into dreamland with a goal that was no more than his efforts have deserved this season.
The celebrations that ensued meant we didn’t spot the board go up for injury time, and so the minutes after Mohamed Salah put us in front felt like an eternity.
A mate of mine had nobly volunteered to go to the bar for the half-time refreshments seconds before this chaos took place, a decision I dare say he quickly regretted making.
The half-time concourse was a much different place than it had promised to be five minutes earlier, with the celebrations reminiscent of Philippe Coutinho‘s away goal in the Europa League back in 2016 despite not being quite as conclusive.
Revenge neededHow we lost the game from that point remains a mystery, let alone failing to even reach penalties.
The Reds toyed with their bitter rivals throughout the second period and at times it looked as though they themselves had given up hope.
Their press was non-existent and Liverpool looked capable of putting the tie to bed at any given point, but alas.
The Reds shot themselves in the foot, not for the final time in the game, and allowed the absolute plumb that is Antony to hand Man United a lifeline for which they themselves probably couldn’t believe their own luck.
Harvey Elliott then looked to have restored common sense into proceedings with his deflected effort before the break in extra time, but Man United were somehow able to turn the game back on its head with goals that I am yet to watch back, and have no intention of doing so.
20mins after the final whistle and the away end are chanting Klopp’s name.
This one will hurt but bigger prizes to pursue in the coming weeks. #LFC pic.twitter.com/AWanmcM3EK
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) March 17, 2024
It was a sickening way for our FA Cup campaign to conclude, particularly given the nature of the game and the opposition, but it is worth remembering that there are still bigger fish to fry.
One of those fish comes at the same venue three weeks from now, where Liverpool’s players will undoubtedly feel as though they have a score to settle against a visibly inferior counterpart.
The traditional Old Trafford lock-in was an expectedly sombre affair, but there were brief shows of defiance with renditions of ‘We are Liverpool’ and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ as we waited to be let out by the police.
Regardless of the result, they are not a good side and you can’t convince me otherwise. We’ll be back on April 7.
It’s been a fairly bleak Monday for Liverpool after the 4-3 defeat away to Man United, while there have been updates on four injuries within the squad.
Nunez OUT of the Uruguay squadAfter Sunday’s match, Jurgen Klopp admitted concerns over three new injuries – for Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo.
Now, The Athletic‘s James Pearce has confirmed that Nunez is out of Uruguay’s upcoming friendly clashes with the Basque Country (March 23) and Ivory Coast (March 26) due to “discomfort in his hamstring,” and will instead recuperate in Liverpool.
It appears as if the withdrawal is more precautionary than anything, with Klopp and Marcelo Bielsa not wanting to risk long-term issues.
Updates on Konate, Diaz and GakpoIbrahima Konate missed Sunday’s shocking loss in the FA Cup quarter-finals, but there has been a positive development regarding his progress.
France manager Didier Deschamps said that there are “no worries” regarding the 24-year-old’s fitness after he reported for medical checks at Clairefontaine.
That suggests Konate will be raring to go for Liverpool’s Premier League title run-in, assuming he can avoid further setbacks.
Diaz and Gakpo have also joined up with Colombia and the Netherlands respectively, with no lasting effects from Old Trafford.
5 things today: Old Trafford arrests & Klopp interview reactionAfter the hoo-ha over Klopp’s spat with Danish journalist Niels Christian Frederiksen at Old Trafford, This Is Anfield‘s David Lynch has recounted the time he got on the wrong side of the manager.
• READ: I’ve been on the wrong side of Jurgen Klopp before – but he’s a good person
As David puts it: “The only fans whose opinions the manager truly cares about are Kopites!”
It appears to be mostly good news for Liverpool as four players with injury doubts looming over them prepare to link up with their national teams this month.
As it stands, Liverpool have seen 26 players called up for international duty in the final break of the season, including most of Jurgen Klopp‘s first team.
However, the manager cast doubt over Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo following their efforts against Man United on Sunday.
“Lucho felt his groin, Darwin [his] hamstring and Cody twisted his ankle. They play again in four or five days, it’s crazy,” Klopp told BBC Sport.
And with Ibrahima Konate not part of the squad for the FA Cup quarter-final defeat, it was unclear whether he would join up with France either.
But as the players begin to report for training ahead of various friendlies over the next fortnight, there seems to be mainly positive news.
The only ongoing concern is for Nunez, with Uruguay yet to release their final squad list for friendlies against the Basque Country (March 23) and Ivory Coast (March 26).
Initial reports in Uruguay claim that the 24-year-old has, however, been left out of Marcelo Bielsa’s selection as a result of the hamstring injury.
Whether it is a major concern for Liverpool though remains to be seen.
Per journalist Julien Froment, France manager Didier Deschamps told reporters on Monday that there were “no worries” over Konate following medical checks at Clairefontaine.
Meanwhile, Colombian outlet Noticias Caracol reports that Diaz’s groin issue was “nothing serious” and he reported to Colombia’s base in London as normal on Monday.
An update from the Dutch FA, confirming the withdrawal of Ajax striker Brian Brobbey from the Netherlands squad, also suggests that Gakpo has no major injury.
A statement on Monday afternoon explained that manager Ronald Koeman “does not call up a replacement, so the Dutch selection now consists of 25 players.”
If Gakpo was also due to pull out, Koeman would almost certainly be required to add at least one more forward to his ranks, but that does now appear to be the case.
Speaking in his post-match press conference on Sunday, Klopp expressed his hope that national team managers wouldn’t overburden his players this month.
“I think most of them have friendlies, Wataru, I think, has qualifiers but I cannot make these decisions for the managers, most of them we don’t speak the same language,” he told reporters.
“They want them in the best possible shape for the summer, most of them play [in summer tournaments], so I hope they don’t have to play two games, 90 minutes.”
Nottingham Forest have become the second Premier League club to be docked points for spending offences this season, with Everton also facing new sanctions.
Forest have been deducted four points after breaching the Premier League‘s profitability and sustainability rules, which sees them drop into the relegation zone.
The club, who are currently managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, fall below Luton into 18th, with their points total dropping from 25 to 21.
A number of reports on Monday relayed the news, with Forest expected to appeal the sanction – a verdict over which must be delivered before the end of the campaign.
It follows a previous 10-point deduction for Everton, which was later reduced to six following appeal, though Liverpool’s rivals could be sanctioned again.
Everton were charged, for the second time, alongside Forest in January, though they are not expected to learn of any punishment until next month.
Reports claim that Everton‘s case will be heard by an independent commission towards the end of this week, with rules stipulating that a verdict must then be made within seven days.
The situation comes after the introduction of profit and sustainability rules by the Premier League in 2013, which stipulate that clubs cannot post losses of more than £105 million over a period of three seasons.
However, the losses allowed for Forest were lower than that figure as part of that three-year period saw them playing in the Championship.
Forest were able to lose no more than £61 million between 2020/21 and 2022/23, with their heavy and prolific spending upon gaining promotion in 2022 playing a major part in their breaches.
The Nottingham club have signed no fewer than 42 players since returning to the top flight, with an outlay of around £250 million including the signings of ex-Liverpool duo Neco Williams (£17m) and Taiwo Awoniyi (£17.5m).
While the first team fell short against Manchester opposition on Sunday, Liverpool U21s celebrated a strong 2-0 win over Man City as Rhys Williams scored.
Liverpool U21s 2-0 Man City U21sPremier League 2, AXA Training Centre
March 17, 2024
Goals: Kone-Doherty 61′, Williams 76′
It was a frustrating day for Jurgen Klopp‘s senior side at Old Trafford as they suffered a 4-3 collapse at the hands of Man United in the FA Cup.
Earlier on Sunday, however, the club’s U21s earned a 2-0 victory over Man City at the AXA Training Centre, with plenty to celebrate.
There was a first U21s goal in seven months for Trent Kone-Doherty, the 17-year-old winger, while Williams continued his recovery from injury with a header on his third start back.
And, off the bench, there was also a first appearance since September for Isaac Mabaya, the 19-year-old who was on the cusp of a first-team breakthrough before a series of injuries.
Williams saw his January loan to Port Vale break down on before he was able to debut, as the League One side cancelled the deal after just 16 days due to fitness concerns – having already had his stay at Aberdeen terminated early.
The 23-year-old is spending the rest of the season building up minutes with Barry Lewtas‘ young Reds, providing an experienced foil for Amara Nallo and Carter Pinnington.
Nallo, Kaide Gordon, Lewis Koumas and Fabian Mrozek all swapped senior duties for the U21s as part of Lewtas’ starting lineup, in a game that Liverpool dominated.
Player-coach Jay Spearing was also in the side, having seen his red card in the previous 0-0 draw with Reading rescinded after a mistaken handball shout.
Mabaya replaced opening goalscorer Kone-Doherty in the closing stages while Melkamu Frauendorf made his second cameo after an injury of his own.
Man City, who saw Mahamadou Susoho sent off in stoppage time, run the risk of finishing bottom of the 26-man league, sitting 24th after this defeat and, having played four games more, only two points clear of Newcastle in 26th.
As of this season, however, there is no promotion or relegation when it comes to the top tier of U21s football in England.
Liverpool are eight points off Tottenham at the top having played a game more, with a trip to Blackburn next up.
Liverpool U21s: Mrozek; Miles, Pinnington, Williams, Nallo; Spearing, Davidson, Laffey; Gordon (Pennington 90+4′), Kone-Doherty (Mabaya 83′), Koumas (Frauendorf 87′)
Subs not used: O.Kelly, Furnell-Gill
Next match: Blackburn U21s (A) – Premier League 2 – Saturday, April 6, 12pm (BST)