Arsenal handed Premier League title boost as Liverpool suffer fresh injury blow

Darwin Nunez has pulled out of the Uruguay squad for their upcoming fixtures with Basque Country and Ivory Coast.

The Liverpool striker suffered a minor hamstring in their 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United. Nunez played the entire 120 minutes as Jurgen Klopp’s side suffered heartbreak to their bitter rivals.

Amad Diallo struck in the 121st minute to send Old Trafford into raptures and dump Liverpool out of the competition. The Reds had previously eliminated Arsenal in the third round and can focus on the Premier League title race.

As for Nunez, he showed no signs of discomfort as he trudged off at the full-time whistle. The 24-year-old was twice denied by Andre Onana but was a nuisance throughout, setting two of Liverpool’s three goals.

He was named in Uruguay’s squad for their international double-header but has pulled out due to a hamstring niggle. Initial results suggest the setback is not severe and he could be ok for Liverpool’s next game against Brighton.

If Nunez were to spend time on the treatment table, that would hand Arsenal a major boost in the title race. The £85million man has shaken off an underwhelming debut campaign to become a threat under Klopp.

Often slammed as erratic, Nunez does pose an unpredictable threat to top-flight defences and chips in with invaluable goals. His last-gasp strike against Nottingham Forest earlier this month cemented Liverpool’s place on top of the table, a position they now share with Arsenal.

Overall, the forward has bagged 17 goals across all competitions for Liverpool this season. Only Mohamed Salah (12) has netted more, with Nunez also creating 12 assists for his teammates.