Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has defended the contribution Darwin Nunez makes to the staff however accepted the under-scrutiny striker’s requirements fell beneath the required degree this week.

Nunez has scored just one objective in his final 10 appearances and managed solely three all season, which is lower than Diogo Jota, who has missed the final 11 matches with a chest harm.

Within the Champions League win in Girona on Tuesday, the Uruguay worldwide reduce an increasingly-frustrated determine after lacking a few possibilities and Slot admitted he stored him on for an prolonged interval – finally being substituted within the 71st minute – as he needed him to get a objective for his confidence.

After receiving some criticism, Nunez posted on Instagram: “They aren’t all, they’re some. Thanks Reds on your help, we’re all nonetheless collectively.”

In a separate publish he simply wrote the phrase “Resiliencia” (Resilience).

Slot mentioned now greater than ever the 25-year-old wanted the help of followers and his team-mates.

“All our gamers really feel the help of our followers however he’s positively one in all them. Mo (Salah) is scoring so many objectives he likes the help of the followers however doesn’t really want it in the intervening time,” he mentioned.

“All of us noticed they did one thing with him when he missed just a few possibilities on Tuesday and everybody wants an arm round you, both from a team-mate, the followers or your manger.

“However I additionally made it clear to him that he’s not solely judged on the objectives he scores, he’s additionally judged on the staff efficiency and he provides one thing to the staff efficiency as nicely together with his work-rate and the way a lot he does profitable the ball again excessive up the pitch.

“Ideally he would have scored just a few objectives extra. Possibly in just a few weeks you’ll ask me (about) Mo is just not scoring any extra and Darwin is scoring one objective after one other.

“It’s the lifetime of a quantity 9, generally you rating, generally you don’t.

“However what ought to all the time be there may be work-rate and I believe that’s what he has, other than two video games: the primary one in opposition to Las Palmas (a pre-season pleasant) – I mentioned that to him yesterday – and the final half-hour in opposition to Girona wasn’t of the usual he ought to have.

“That had loads to do with him being upset at lacking just a few possibilities.”

Nunez has made 11 begins and eight substitute appearances however not solely are his numbers nicely down on the identical stage final season (seven objectives) however he seems to have misplaced the artistic chaos which followers cherished a lot beneath Jurgen Klopp.

His place will come beneath growing stress as Jota and long-term absentee Federico Chiesa, who has made simply three appearances since becoming a member of from Juventus in August, set to return to the squad for the go to of Fulham.

“Federico missed rather a lot for a very long time, was in poor health final week, so we now have to attend and see how he’s precisely doing,” Slot added.

“However possibly Diogo is within the squad and possibly Federico as nicely, however that relies upon a bit on the numbers we now have and likewise how he recovered from his sickness.”