Prior to Uruguay’s match against Ecuador on Tuesday, it had been said that Liverpool star Darwin Nunez could be benched by Marcelo Bielsa.
It was claimed that the manager could go for a tactical variation, and even though the striker had done well in the previous match, he could be dropped from the team.
Nunez ended up starting, but got subbed off at half-time. And as quoted by ESPN, Bielsa talked about the reasons to replace the Liverpool forward.
According to the manager, Nunez wasn’t in good shape for the match, and had to give up his place to someone who would give the necessary mobility in attack.
“Darwin came out because he didn’t arrive well for the match, he had muscular difficulties and that limited his mobility,” said Bielsa.
“I thought it was a good idea to replace him because he couldn’t take on the rhythm of the game when we had to press or attack.
“He made a great effort, but you could see that he wasn’t at his best.”
It’s now unclear whether that lack of rhythm will have any impact on Nunez’s return to Liverpool, as the Reds already have a game on Saturday, when they visit Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
Playing under Jurgen Klopp this season, the striker has two goals and one assist in four matches, despite starting on the bench in most games and only being in the initial line up for the 3-0 win over Aston Villa.
