Nunez doubt for Liverpool vs Real Madrid after ‘horrible’ Kieran Trippier ‘foul’
Darwin Nunez is a doubt for Liverpool ahead of their clash with Real Madrid after Kieran Trippier's 'horrible' foul.
The Reds face Real in the Champions League last-16 first leg clash on Tuesday. But they may be forced to go into battle without Nunez for the match at Anfield after Newcastle ace Trippier clattered into the Uruguayan during the Prem sides' contest on Saturday evening.
Nunez attempted to skip past Trippier on the edge of the box, and the English defender sent his rival flying with a brutal slide tackle, while inadvertently handling the ball, to prevent him from encroaching on the Magpies' goal. But Nunez landed on his shoulder in the process, eventually forcing him to leave the pitch to nurse the injury.
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Surprisingly, referee Anthony Taylor gave a free kick against Nunez, to the shock of fans who flocked to Twitter to share their frustration, and call for the official's dismissal. One fan raged: "Still got absolutely no idea how Anthony Taylor gave Newcastle a free kick for Trippier sliding in, taking Nunez out and handballing it. Bald Manc b*****d.
Then another fumed: "It’s a foul KT never touched the ball with his feet plus it’s handball." And a third user insisted Taylor should suffer the same fate as former counterpart Lee Mason who quit following his VAR blooper in Arsenal's match against Brentford.
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They said: "Anthony Taylor needs to retire a la Lee Mason after awarding Newcastle a free-kick for this horrible tackle by Trippier on Núñez." Reds boss Jurgen Klopp also shared his bewilderment over Taylor's decision while providing a worrying update on Nunez's condition ahead of their match with the Spanish giants.
A sullen Klopp said: "Darwin has something on his shoulder, we will see. In that situation, I don’t know why [the referee] whistled there against him, to be honest.
"But in the end, he had to go off with a shoulder issue. We need further assessments. I don’t know at the moment. In the moment it’s painful. Hopefully, it’s just painful and not more."
Nunez's potential omission from the European spectacle is the last thing the Reds need as they seek revenge on the team who beat them in last season's Champions League final. The striker bagged Liverpool's first goal in their 2-0 win over the Magpies, and Klopp will be hoping Nunez can have the same impact against Carlo Ancelotti's side if he recovers in time.
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