Chris Sutton- in one of these games he will be set up to score five Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah

Chris Sutton- in one of these games he will be set up to score five Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah

Chris Sutton (left) and Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah

Pundit Chris Sutton has said that Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez will step up in the absence of Mohamed Salah, who’s set to leave for AFCON duty with Egypt.

 

 

Salah, 31, has been in impressive form this season – bagging 18 goals and nine assists in 27 games – to fire the Reds to the top of the Premier League after 20 games. The Egptian has played all 20 league outings, contributing 14 goals and eight assists.

 

Nevertheless, Sutton reckons the Reds have Darwin Nunez to more than compensate for Salah’s absence. The former player even tipped Nunez to score five times in one of the games Salah will not be available for due to international duty.

 

“That’s the pick I think, Darwin Nunez. He’s due a barrel load; isn’t he? In one of these games, he will score five,” Sutton said on the Fantasy 606 podcast (via TBR).

Nunez, who arrived on a reported £70 million move from Benfica, has had a lukewarm Premier League campaign. In 19 games, he has five goals and six assists. His three other goals and two assists have come in nine combined games in the EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League.

 

 

The AFCON kicks off on January 14 and concludes on February 11. If Mohamed Salah and Co. reach the final, the Liverpool ace will miss five games, including four in the Premier League.

 

Egypt are in Group B with Ghana, Cape Verde and Mozambique. They open their campaign against Mozambique on January 14 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

 

What’s next for Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool?

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool are next in action at Arsenal in a marquee FA Cup opener on Saturday (January 6), for which Mohamed Salah is expected to be available.

 

Three days later, the Reds take on Fulham at home in the first leg of their EFL Cup semifinal before travelling to Bournemouth on January 21 in the Premier League. Three days after their Bournemouth game, the Reds travel to Fulham for the concluding leg of their EFL Cup semifinal tie to end the month.

 

In their only other Premier League game of the month, Jurgen Klopp’s side entertain Chelsea at home on January 31. The two sides drew 1-1 in the reverse fixture in the season opener in August.

 

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“They’d have a diamond” – Sky Sports pundit reacts as Southampton and Leicester plot Liverpool move

 

Southampton and Leicester City are set to compete for the signing of Fabio Carvalho from Liverpool this January.

 

 

According to the Daily Mail, the Saints are keen to bring the playmaker to St. Mary’s on loan for the second half of the campaign.

 

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However, they will have to fend off interest from Championship league leaders Leicester in the race to the 21-year-old with Sky Sports reporting their interest in the player.

 

Carvalho spent the first half of the term on loan with Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig, but returned to Anfield on 1 January after being recalled by his parent club.

 

He made just one start in nine league appearances for the German side, with a lack of game time leading to his move being cut short.

 

Don Goodman gives Carvalho verdict amid transfer tussle

Goodman has expressed his shock at Carvalho’s struggles for game time at Liverpool and Leipzig due to the impressive talent he possesses.

 

The EFL pundit believes that he would be a great asset to have for any side chasing promotion to the Premier League this season.

 

“Leicester City are the team that need him the least,” said Goodman.

 

“Southampton are not a million miles behind them.

 

“Look, the quality that he brings.

 

“I’m really shocked that he hasn’t been able to get gametime [at] RB Leipzig or even at Liverpool.

 

“I thought he would get opportunities based on his time with Fulham in the Championship.

 

“I saw a lot of him with Fulham, bearing in mind this was two and a bit years ago when he was super young.

 

“What a talent. 10 goals and eight assists in the Championship last time.

 

“He was sensational.

 

“There is no question he would help any of the teams that are aspiring to get promoted.

 

“He would help them without any question.

 

“He’s a talent, he just needs game time it seems to be.

 

“If anybody was lucky enough to bring him back, get him match sharp, into their team and firing then they’d have a diamond on their hands.”

 

Leicester City and Southampton league position

Leicester currently lead the way at the top of the second division table, with the gap to second place Ipswich Town now 10 points.

 

The Saints are three points further back in third, with Russell Martin’s side hunting down a top two spot.

 

Southampton have closed up on the Tractor Boys in recent weeks following their dip in form.

 

But next up for both teams is FA Cup third round action, with the Foxes away to Millwall and Southampton at home to Walsall.

 

Carvalho’s recent struggles a possible warning sign

Carvalho was an exceptional part of Fulham’s promotion season to the Premier League in 2022, and they would have been disappointed to lose him at the time.

 

But the move to Liverpool has seen the playmaker’s development stall, and the loan move to Leipzig has not helped matters either.

 

This next step needs to be a good one for Carvalho, and a move down to the Championship might be what he needs to rediscover his old form.

 

It is worth taking a punt on a loan for Southampton and Leicester given how impressive he was i

n the division before, but there are no guarantees he will find that level again either.