Liverpool star won't miss Chelsea game despite picking up fifth yellow card - here's why

Liverpool's 4-0 win over Bournemouth demonstrated just how much Darwin Nunez is improving this season and how he can be a key factor in Mohamed Salah's absence.

Diogo Jota and Nunez made the difference against the Cherries and their win put them five points clear at the top of the table. It was important to maintain their lead and show they can cope without their top scorer and it was a brace that will do wonders for the Uruguayan's confidence as well.

Those goals saw him move to 10 goals and 10 assists in 31 games in all competitions this season and his overall influence is growing game by game. Any shouts of him having a 'flop season' are fabrications, as he is outperforming plenty of notable names that are not getting half of the criticism that he has received up until now this campaign.

He did, however, pick up his fifth yellow card of the season which would ordinarily rule him out of their next clash, which just happens to be a huge clash with Chelsea with Anfield. Fortunately, those four cautions came in the first 19 games of the season and this fifth card came in their 21st game, which is in the second half of the season.

That means Klopp can call upon his striker to cause havoc against a Chelsea side that have been hugely inconsistent this season and who also have a very poor record at Anfield across the Klopp-era. It's certainly important because it means he can build on his confidence and keep the momentum that he is clearly building across January.

Although, they have two more important games before then which will make it three games in seven days beginning with the second leg of their EFL Cup tie with Fulham on Wednesday night. They then face Norwich in the FA Cup at Anfield on Sunday which he could be rested for in preparation for the Chelsea game which falls on the following Wednesday.