Ex-Liverpool and Tottenham forward Robbie Keane has spoken about Liverpool’s chances of winning the Premier League title in the absence of Mohamed Salah who’s away in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Keane believes Darwin Nunez can help fill the void left by Mohamed Salah to guide Liverpool to the Premier League title.
The Reds will be without Salah for the next few weeks as he looks to help Egypt succeed at the Africa Cup of Nations, which is being held in the Ivory Coast. As a result, Jurgen Klopp will be forced to make adjustments to his starting line-up to accommodate the loss of Salah for the next few games.
Klopp will have Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Nunez to call on while Salah is on international duty. Keane believes that Nunez in particular can help the team challenge on all four fronts in the second half of the season.
Keane made 28 appearances for Liverpool, scoring seven goals in the process. The former Republic of Ireland international explained how, despite Salah not being at Klopp’s disposal for the next few weeks, the other forwards available mean that the Reds have enough to continue a challenge for the league title.
“I think Liverpool have the staying power to win the Premier League,” Keane told Betway.
“I thought a lot of the new players they bought in the summer would take time to gel, but they’ve settled in well and they’re managing to win games both in the Premier League and in the cups.
“Mohamed Salah is obviously a big loss and, no question, he’s hard to replace, but I think Liverpool can maintain their momentum with the forward players they still have.
“Diogo Jota coming back is a big plus for them, and I really like Darwin Nunez. I think he can be a really good player for Liverpool. Of course, he needs to improve in terms of his number of goals, but you can see the fans really respond to his energy and work rate.
“As a striker, you’re judged on scoring goals, but I’m sure that will come because he’s got everything. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s got pace.”
Nunez currently has five goals in the Premier League this season and eight in all competitions. The Uruguay international also has 10 assists to his name and has become a fan favourite at Anfield since signing from Benfica in 2022.