Darwin Nunez fight could play into hands of Liverpool star after Ronaldo ruined his Euros

Liverpool star Darwin Nunez could be facing a lengthy ban after he jumped into the stands and threw punches at Colombia supporters following Uruguay’s semi-final defeat at the Copa America. But any absence could play into the hands of Reds team-mate Diogo Jota, who may be called upon to replace Nunez by new boss Arne Slot.

Nunez started all five of Uruguay’s Copa America matches and found the back of the net in their first two matches against Panama and Bolivia respectively.

But his tournament ended in heartbreak and controversy after Jefferson Lerma’s first half header in the last-four encounter won the game for the Colombian team.

The evening took an unsavoury turn after the final whistle had blown at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, as Nunez and some of his team-mates scaled the stands and clashed with fans.

The Uruguay players maintained after the incident that they had entered the stands to protect their families, who were allegedly being abused by Colombia fans.

Nunez was then seen comforting his baby daughter on the pitch, with Uruguay defender Jose Maria Gimenez exclaiming during an interview: “It was a disaster – there was no police and we had to defend our families.”

When Eric Dier entered the stands to confront supporters after an FA Cup clash between Tottenham and Norwich in 2020, he was given a four-match ban on top of a £40,000 fine. And Nunez may be expecting to be sanctioned for his actions in the USA.

If Slot is forced to do without Nunez, Jota may get an instant opportunity to impress his new manager and stake a claim for a regular starting place.

The Portugal international will link up with his Liverpool team-mates in the coming weeks after helping his country reach the Euro 2024 quarter-finals. But the 27-year-old may be disappointed with the amount of gametime he was handed out in Germany, with his tournament ruined by former Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo in many ways.

Ronaldo, who will turn 40 next year, started every one of Portugal’s Euro 2024 matches but proved largely ineffective as he failed to score a single goal. He missed a penalty during extra time of his team’s last-16 clash with Slovenia but then held his nerve to dispatch a spot kick as Portugal won a penalty shootout at the end.

But the Al-Nassr player offered little in the quarter-final as Portugal were beaten by France. And there’s a clear argument to suggest that Portugal would have fared better if Jota, who is in the prime of his career, had been chosen by Roberto Martinez to lead the line at the expense of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Jota didn’t start a match at Euro 2024 and was unable to have the impact he would have liked. And the ace would surely jump at the chance to prove his worth to Slot from the outset when the new Premier League season gets underway next month.