Nunez handed Liverpool blessing after Klopp's injury 'concerns' admission

The pressure is already being piled on Liverpool new boy Darwin Nunez from some quarters, but the Uruguayan hitman can take solace from the anguish of one of his team-mates.

Not only will the expectations of some be through the roof regarding the 23-year-old given he arrived in a potentially club-record £85million deal, but he's got sizeable shoes to fill having replaced Reds icon Sadio Mane earlier in the summer. Throw into the mix the fact Liverpool's biggest rivals Manchester City have snapped up none other than Erling Haaland, and Nunez finds himself at the centre of a perfect storm of pressure.

The former Benfica man has so far only played around 75 minutes for his new side across two meaningless friendlies against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, yet the striker already finds himself on the end of some unjust criticism. Criticism which his manager Jurgen Klopp has branded a "joke".

"I'm not worried at all," Klopp responded when probed over whether the expectations assigned to his new signing ought to be reigned in. "The general judgement [on Nunez] is absolutely nil interest [to us]. It will be like this and we all know it.

"It's kind of a game or a joke for some people to pick out some situations where a player's not doing well. That's only a game from [fans of] other clubs, which is normal. Our fans probably do [the same] with signings of Manchester United. We cannot take this seriously."

Just two uncompetitive games into Nunez's Liverpool career and Klopp has already found himself feeling the need to back his new centre-forward and reassert how he remains "completely convinced" by the player's potential. Addressing the almighty price tag now synonymous with the striker, Klopp added: "We should be the first ones to delete the fee we paid from our thinking. It's not important.

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"It's like this with strikers. He missed a chance and then there are some nervous people going, 'oh my god, he missed a chance'. I can promise you it will not be the last."

And it's unlikely to be the last time the critics come out in force to belittle Nunez at any given opportunity. With each passing minute in which Liverpool's new No.27 fails to find the back of the net, there will be an ever-growing group of doubters.

Nunez himself has already stood up to those questioning his capabilities with a post on social media, but the best way to silence the sceptics will be to do his talking on the pitch - as the old cliche goes. Nunez will indeed be provided with exactly that opportunity over the coming months, especially after learning of Diogo Jota's injury woes.

Klopp has admitted he is "concerned" about the Portuguese forward, who is currently struggling with a hamstring issue, while confirming the 25-year-old will miss the meeting with City in the Community Shield at the end of this month. Though the news will be worrying for both Klopp and Jota himself, the injury blow will likely serve as a blessing for Nunez.

Having already found himself in the spotlight and under intense scrutiny, the thought of knowing the ever-reliable Jota is waiting in the wings will have only added to Nunez's current woes. Though Roberto Firmino remains an alternative option in attack, Jota is the biggest threat to Nunez in Liverpool's starting XI.

News of his injury setback should at least ease the incessant pressure placed upon Nunez at present and buy him a bit more time to get going, particularly when the Reds' Premier League campaign begins in earnest against Fulham on Saturday 6 August. Nunez was always going to be the subject of significant pressure given the circumstances surrounding his arrival, but he could scarcely have expected the standards would be set quite as high as they seemingly have been by some.

With Jota set for a spell on the sidelines though, Nunez appears to have been handed the break he very much needs. One man's loss is another man's gain, as they say.