Arne Slot has already shown Darwin Nunez plan as key Diogo Jota advantage explained
Arne Slot is adamant Darwin Nunez remains firmly in his plans despite not starting a single game for Liverpool this season.
The Uruguayan striker has been restricted to just four substitute appearances in all competitions after falling behind Diogo Jota in the pecking order, with the Portuguese forward emerging as Slot's favored option through the middle of the front three.
It's meant Nunez, who failed to even appear in the opening day victory over Ipswich Town, has been afforded less than 20 minutes of action against Brentford and Manchester United, while he managed slightly more from the bench against AC Milan in midweek.
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There was, however, 30 minutes of action in the 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend, proving Slot is prepared to offer him a genuine opportunity to stake his claim for a more regular role in the side over the coming weeks.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Bournemouth, the Dutchman said: "It's always difficult because players but also media only think you have confidence in a player if you play him.
"We have confidence in all of them, otherwise you don't bring a player in if you're 3-1 up (at Milan) about half-an-hour before the end or last week against Nottingham Forest (when) he came on for the last half-an-hour. There's a lot of confidence in him.
"But there are two players for that position and I could even come up with more who could play in that position. He is in competition with Diogo, who has done really well. But many games have to be played and there will be enough time to judge Darwin, if he improves and how he improves and if he can do special things for the club."
The fact still remains, however, that Jota is Slot's first choice - even if the 27-year-old has just one goal and one assist to his name so far this season. Furthermore, he's failed to register a goal contribution in Liverpool's last three games.
But Slot has explained the decision to continually favor Jota over Nunez, stating how the former Wolves man offers more dynamism than his Uruguayan counterpart. "I think Diogo is a bit more a striker that can also go into the midfield and play as a false nine or a nine-and-a-half, where Darwin is more the target man that finishes off a good attack," he said.
However, Slot and his coaching staff have been working with Nunez to help him understand what he must do better on the pitch, both with and without the ball as well as understanding how Liverpool's fellow forwards want to play.
“I think it comes to what do you have to do when we have the ball and when we don’t have the ball, and fit his own characteristics into that," Liverpool's head coach said. "We did work with him on his qualities to get the best out of him. But there’s also a general thing he has to understand, like all the others.
"We have shown him videos. Not only him, our staff is working a lot with videos, with individuals and that is about team orientation, where to position himself when we have the ball, when we don’t have the ball.
"So this is what we show them a lot, and then how he can bring the best out of his own qualities compared to the other players we have. They all have their own characteristics. So we play with Mo or with Lucho or with Federico or with Cody, it’s always a bit different where you have to position yourself."