Jurgen Klopp insisted Liverpool are remaining calm about Darwin Nunez’s slow start to life at Anfield after leaving their record signing on the bench for their last three games.
The German and his multilingual assistant Pep Lijnders had a long conversation with the Uruguayan, who could cost Liverpool up to £85 million, to urge him not to worry about his struggles to get into the team.
Nunez scored on his first two appearances after his summer move from Benfica but has only started one of Liverpool’s last seven meetings as he served a three-match ban for his red card against Crystal Palace, began but missed chances in the 0-0 draw against Everton and was a substitute against Napoli, Ajax and Brighton.
“Of course he’s still adapting, how players always adapt,” Klopp said. “New players come in and everybody talks about them and wants them to shine immediately. That happens from time to time and sometimes not.
“Only yesterday we had a long talk with Pep Lijnders because my Portuguese is still not better. We just told him we are really calm. It’s really important in our situation that he isn’t looking like he is worrying or whatever.”
Nunez’s cameo against Brighton only began in the 89th minute but Klopp said he was not fit to start and said Liverpool’s mixed form had made it harder for the new signing to settle.
He added: “Why he didn’t start the game at the weekend, he came back from the internationals and had a hamstring problem and when you get this information from the medical department it gives you an idea of some kind of minutes he is allowed to play, and you don’t start anyone who is only allowed to play 20 minutes or 15.
“I know this kind of discussion will open up to the outside world. Of course the three-game [suspension] didn’t help him, that’s clear. But that’s pretty much all.
“The team is not flying, and that makes it not easier for a striker, especially not for a finisher.
“It’s not that we aren’t creating chances, but it’s not like everything is clicking and we put in one player and he finishes our situation off. That’s not our situation at the moment as much as I wish it would be. That’s all.”
