Former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has been faraway from Al Hilal’s squad list for the Saudi Pro League, meaning his possibilities of playing for the remaining of the season are severely limited.
The Uruguayan spent three seasons at Anfield, scoring 40 goals in 143 appearances, but proving to be surplus to requirements under Arne Slot because the Reds spent big last summer.
The unpredictable striker was placed on the transfer list and Liverpool found a buyer in Saudi side Al Hilal, who paid around £46m for his services.
The 26-year-old has featured frequently since his move from England, scoring six goals in 16 Saudi Pro League games and netting once in five AFC Champions League Elite matches.
Nevertheless, there are rules on what number of foreign players Saudi Pro League sides can register of their squads and Nunez has been axed by Al Hilal boss Simone Inzaghi.
Al Hilal sit top of the Saudi Pro League after 20 matches but, because it stands, Nunez won’t play again within the domestic league this season.
Former Arsenal centre-back Pablo Mari is in the identical situation, having moved to the club from Fiorentina last month.
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The 32-year-old, who also hung out at Manchester City, was at Arsenal from January 2020 until leaving permanently for Monza in 2023, making 22 appearances for the Gunners.
The Spaniard moved to Saudi Arabia in January and has played within the Saudi Pro League, but is now out of contention in the highest flight.
Nevertheless, despite being out of the Pro League squad, Nunez and Mari are eligible to play within the AFC Champions League Elite.
Al Hilal are essentially the most successful team in that competition’s history, winning it 4 times, but not since 2021.
Al Hilal played Dubai’s Shabab Al Ahli within the competition on Monday, with Nunez and Mari within the starting line-up for the goalless draw.
Saudi Pro League sides can only register eight foreign players over the age of 21 and the arrival of Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad this month has cost Nunez.
Marcos Leonardo Malcom, Frenchmen Karim Benzema and Theo Hernandez, Moroccan Yassine Bounou, Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly, Portuguese Rúben Neves, and Serbian Sergej Savić
The French forward joins compatriot Theo Hernandez, Brazilians Marcos Leonardo and Malcom, Portugal’s Ruben Neves, Serbia’s Sergej Milinkovic-Davis, Senegal’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Morocco’s Yassine Bounou as foreign players registered for Pro League motion.
Not being on the eight-man list shall be of great concern for Nunez especially, with the World Cup coming up this summer and Uruguay involved in Group H alongside Spain, Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia.
Even when Al Hilal get to the ultimate of the AFC Champions League Elite, he’ll only play six more club matches before the World Cup.
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