Darwin Nunez may have been banned for several key Uruguay matches following his Copa America antics but Liverpool and Arne Slot have been handed a major boost.
The 25-year-old was at the heart of a wild brawl between Colombia supporters and Uruguay players following his nation's Copa America semi-final defeat in July as he led the charge during terrifying scenes.
The forward was snapped throwing a series of punches in an attempt to defend himself and others around him, having leapt to the defense of several player’s families and young children.
South America’s governing body, CONMEBOL, launched an investigation into the brawl involving Nunez and 11 other players, for which the Uruguayan has now been slapped with a five-game ban for his involvement.
It means Nunez will be unavailable for Uruguay's friendly clash with Guatemala on September 1, as well as its four 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay (Sep 6), Venezuela (Sep 10), Peru (Oct 9) and Ecuador (Oct 12).
While this is a devastating blow for Nunez and Uruguay, it is less so for Liverpool. By missing the next two international breaks, the former Benfica forward will therefore avoid traveling thousands of miles in between Premier League matches.
Not only does this mean he avoids returning to Merseyside feeling jaded and needing time to recover, as well as picking up any injuries whilst away, it also means he will be fit and firing for the Reds on their return to league action.
With Diogo Jota likely to be selected for Portugal during the September and October international breaks, it is even more beneficial that Nunez will be staying put on Merseyside, allowing Slot to have at least one of the duo ready to play.
Following the September international break, Liverpool returns for Premier League fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Wolves and Crystal Palace - not to mention any Champions League and Carabao Cup games sandwiched in between.
But even more crucially, Liverpool has huge games against Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton and Aston Villa following October's international break - for which Nunez will have played no part in Uruguay's World Cup qualifiers.
While the Uruguayan will be devastated not to play a part in his country's efforts to reach the 2026 tournament, he will at least be raring to go for those quartet of matches, in particular for the visit of Chelsea at Anfield in the first game back.
Uruguay's loss is certainly Liverpool's gain on this front, and it could be absolutely crucial to Slot and his teammates ahead of such crucial fixtures during the early stages of the 2024-25 season.
