Liverpool’s injury and red card woes open opportunity to unlock new partnership

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is still reeling from the eventful clash with Tottenham last week, which saw Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones sent off as well as Cody Gakpo pick up a worrying injury. The double blow in attack makes Klopp’s starting line-up easier to pick though and he’ll get another chance to showcase the burgeoning relationship between Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Klopp has been reluctant to use Nunez from the start this season with the Uruguayan named on the bench for five of Liverpool’s seven Premier League games so far. But the 24-year-old has looked threatening whenever he’s been on the pitch and stole the show against Newcastle last month with his late brace to claim all three points.

He was back on the scoresheet in the 3-1 win over West Ham, but was subsequently dropped for the game against Tottenham. Klopp would have likely wanted to use Nunez off the bench at one stage, but red cards to Jones and Jota made offensive changes impossible for the Liverpool boss.

Now with neither Jota or Gakpo available, Nunez will be set to make his third league start of the season. And it’s his partnership with Szoboszlai just in behind him which may be Liverpool’s secret weapon to challenge for the title this season.

Costing a combined £124million, both Nunez and Szoboszlai have been the marquee signings at Anfield for the past two summer transfer windows. Nunez arrived last year as a raw and relatively untried prospect on the European stage, but showed glimpses of his talents up front.

He looks more composed this year and that may be in part due to Szoboszlai filling the attacking-midfield role in Klopp’s side. Liverpool had been lacking an attack-minded midfielder in recent years to help provide that link between the front line and those in the middle.

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But Szoboszlai has been a breath of fresh air with his neat footwork and eagerness to push forward with the ball. There’s already been signs that Szoboszlai and Nunez are developing an understanding on the pitch.

Nunez regularly plays on the shoulder of the defence, waiting for a ball over the top or through the lines to race through on goal. And Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s main man in trying to find the pockets of space around his opponents and Nunez is regularly sought out for a pass.

Klopp’s hand may have been forced to start them together for just the third time in eight league games. But it may end up being a blessing in disguise that could see Liverpool reaping the benefits for the rest of the campaign.

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