“What game is Klopp playing?” – Liverpool fans question decision to leave out Reds star from line-up for Fulham game
Liverpool fans online have expressed their displeasure after Jurgen Klopp decided to start Darwin Nunez on the bench for the side's opening Premier League game against Fulham on Saturday (August 6).
The German tactician has instead gone with Roberto Firmino in attack alongside Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz. This is despite Nunez scoring against Manchester City in the Community Shield last weekend.
Meanwhile, Diogo Jota misses out as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
The Reds' starting XI can be seen below:
Liverpool fans on Twitter were seemingly keen to see Darwin Nunez start and are disappointed that the forward is not part of the playing XI.
Some believe that Firmino shouldn't be starting ahead of the Uruguayan forward in the current team. Other fans are not happy because Darwin Nunez is part of their Fantasy Premier League (FPL) squad.
Here are a few tweets in that regard:
@LFC @premierleague Starting Bobby over Nuñez in 2022… what game is Klopp playing?
@LFC @premierleague No Nunez😢
@LFC @premierleague Why not start Nunez😔
@LFC @premierleague no nunez :( https://t.co/wyGPjukrVd
@LFC @premierleague Nunez nooo
@LFC @premierleague No Nunez no party
@LFC @premierleague Firmino over Nunez ??? I HAVE NUNEZ IN MY FPL
Darwin Nunez has arrived at Anfield as Liverpool's marquee signing ahead of the 2022-23 season.
The 23-year-old forward arrived from Portuguese side SL Benfica for an initial fee of around £64 million. According to Goal, however, there are add-ons worth £21 million included in the deal, which could see Nunez become the club's most expensive player.
The Reds needed a new forward this summer after Sadio Mane left the club to join Bayern Munich. Darwin Nunez is an ideal replacement for the Senegalese forward as he can also play up front or on the left wing. Last season, Nunez netted 34 goals in 41 appearances for Benfica across all competitions.
Liverpool defeated Manchester City in their last competitive fixture
Liverpool will come into their opening Premier League game on the back of a victory against Manchester City in the FA Community Shield. The Reds secured a 3-1 win on Saturday (30 July), with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez getting on the scoresheet.
Jurgen Klopp's side, however, did lose 3-0 to Strasbourg in their final pre-season game the very next day. It is worth mentioning that the German tactician played a team of youngsters on that occasion, with all the first-team players getting a rest.
Our first @PremierLeague matchday of the season is here 🙌
Up The Reds 🔴
#WalkOn | #FULLIV https://t.co/6OJbf9CIt0
The Reds had a mixed pre-season prior to the start of the 2022-23 season. They lost 4-0 to rivals Manchester United in Thailand in their first warm-up game.
In one of their most memorable performances, Liverpool secured a 5-0 win over RB Leipzig in Germany. New signing Darwin Nunez netted four goals in that particular pre-season game.