Jurgen Klopp drops strong Liverpool selection hint for Fulham Premier League opener

Jurgen Klopp has hinted that Darwin Nunez will begin life as a Premier League player on the bench for Liverpool.

The striker joined the Reds for what could become a club record £85 million from Benfica earlier this summer.

Nunez plundered four goals in a 5-0 pre-season defeat of RB Leipzig before netting as a substitute in last weekend’s 3-1 triumph over Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Liverpool raise the curtain to their 2022-23 Premier League campaign with a trip to Fulham tomorrow (12.30 BST).

Diogo Jota is absent with a hamstring injury, although Roberto Firmino - who started the Community Shield - is fit.

And Klopp admitted that Nunez still ‘needs time’ to adjust on Merseyside - suggesting Firmino will feature from the outset.

What’s been said

Reds boss Klopp said: “Darwin is ready but that doesn’t mean he has to start. I don’t know about that. We still have different options.

“He needs time to get used to a lot of things. He is already a real help. It went really quick. It was a proper pre-season training session for him, the first game.

“He said himself he was nervous at the beginning. From my point of view I sympathise with that a lot, it’s completely normal. You could see that, but he has settled pretty quickly.

“He’s had an impact, but the work will not stop here. He’s in the best possible place.”