"Benched, what a flop" "He isn't rated" - Liverpool fans fume as key player misses out on place in starting XI against Leipzig

Liverpool fans have reacted on social media to target man Darwin Nunez missing out on a place in the starting XI against RB Leipzig. They haven't been happy with the Uruguayan's displays at the club so far in pre-season and have branded him a 'flop.'

The Merseysiders are set to continue their pre-season preparations with a clash against Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena in Germany on July 21.

The Reds are looking to make it two wins from two following a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace last time out as the new season draws ever nearer.

Ahead of the clash in Leipzig, Klopp named his starting XI for the game, which looked incredibly strong on paper. A first-choice back four and front line including Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz has got supporters excited for the encounter.

Eight players from the initial lineup against Leipzig also started in the Reds' Champions League final loss against Real Madrid in May.

However, one player conspicous by his absence is new signing Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan striker arrived at Liverpool earlier this summer for a club-record £85 million deal following an outstanding 2021-22 season for Benfica.

The 23-year-old forward has endured a difficult pre-season so far with his new squad having failed to find the back of the net in two matches. Clips of his poor recent poor performance against Manchester United in Thailand have gone viral, as have several misses in training.

Bizarrely, his omission from Liverpool's starting lineup has led some supporters to take to Twitter to decide that he is already a flop. This is despite the fact that the forward is yet to play a competitive game for the Reds.

Here are some of the best social media reactions to Klopp's starting lineup for the Leipzig clash:

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Pundit believes Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez may initially struggle at the start of upcoming season

Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor believes that Darwin Nunez will eventually be a success at Anfield. However, he stated that it may take the South American a couple of months to adapt to Jurgen Klopp's methods.

Nunez has some big boots to fill this season at Liverpool following the departure of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich. Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor claimed:

“I can imagine Nunez might struggle in the first part of the season. But when he’s up to speed, he’ll score goals, there’s no doubt. When you’ve got Robertson, when you’ve Thiago, when you’ve got Trent Alexander-Arnold, you’ll get chances. You might miss a few, but you’ll definitely score a few. I think he’ll have no problem scoring goals, he’s proved he’s a natural finisher."

He added:

"But a lot of strikers come into the Premier League and it can take time to get used to it. If he has two months struggling to find the net and some poor performances then I’m sure nobody will panic and he’ll get the time he deserves.”