Gary Neville believes Premier League defenders will target Darwin Nunez after his red card against Crystal Palace on Monday night.
The Uruguay international, 23, was sent off on his Anfield debut after clashing heads with Joachim Andersen during the second half. The score was 1-0 to Palace at that point and Liverpool needed a stunning goal from Luis Diaz to claim a 1-1 draw.
That result leaves the Reds four points behind main Premier League title rivals Manchester City. Although it's still early days, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will be concerned about dropping too far behind Pep Guardiola's side in the hunt for success.
Klopp will also be without Nunez for the next three games, leaving him short in attack. Although first-time offenders often receive a one-game ban, the striker will be banned for the next three fixtures due to his dismissal being for violent conduct.
That means Nunez will be unavailable for the upcoming Premier League games against Manchester United, Bournemouth and Newcastle. Klopp could decide to nip back into the transfer market to sign another attacker before the window shuts on September 1.
Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football after the game, Gary Neville warned Klopp about Nunez's vulnerability. "I think he’ll be a target for defenders," admitted Neville.
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"I think they’ll poke him, prod him, in terms of punishment I think Klopp will have a stern word with him whether it’s tomorrow or after. The player it hurts the most when you get sent off is yourself, that’s the loneliest place in the world, when you’re in the dressing room on your own - you might have the kitman with you - it’s horrible.
"You’re in that dressing room you’re fearing for them because you’ve let them down, you’re losing, you’ll feel bad because you’ve let them down. So you don’t need to say much to a player that’s been sent off because it’s bad enough.
"I’m sure he’ll go around after the game and say sorry to them all - I’m sure of that. The rest of the lads in the dressing room, because it’s a good dressing room, will pick him up and that’s the way it goes."
Much is expected of Nunez after he completed an initial £64million transfer from Benfica in June, a fee that could rise to £85m. The striker was prolific last term, scoring 34 goals in all competitions - including two against Liverpool in the Champions League.
"Darwin knows he let his team-mates down," said Klopp on Monday night. "I will leave him alone for a night and then talk to him tomorrow... Of course it was a red, he was provoked but that is not how he should behave. It was not a reaction we want to see.
"He knows he will be challenged in this way, centre-halves will do that, but it is not a reaction we want. But we will use the time productively. We will use the suspension for physical work to make him strong - not a punishment but to make him stronger."
