The international break has arrived at an opportune moment for Darwin Nunez, who is eager to escape his Liverpool woes and represent Uruguay. Liverpool's recent performances have been disappointing, with a Champions League exit courtesy of Paris Saint-Germain and a Carabao Cup final loss to Newcastle on Sunday.
Nunez had a limited role in both matches, coming off the bench but failing to make a significant impact. The forward has scored seven goals in 41 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool this season.
His inconsistent form under manager Arne Slot, coupled with infrequent starts, has sparked rumours of a potential summer transfer.
The 25 year old is therefore relishing the chance to play for his country in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Bolivia. Upon landing at Carrasco International Airport in Uruguay, Nunez expressed his frustrations to local media, stating "the ball doesn't want to go in."
Nunez has opened up about his challenging spell at the club, insisting he remains committed to improving his game despite not being a regular starter. The Uruguayan striker, who has faced criticism for his performances, expressed his determination in a recent interview: "I'm happy thinking about the national team, enjoying every minute with it; these are moments that one goes through in football, and as I said recently: I'm not someone who throws in the towel because they don't play, but rather I'm going to keep working so I can play."
He also acknowledged his current form issues, saying, "I know I'm not performing as well as I should; it's difficult because when you're doing well, like when I came on against PSG, your confidence changes, with the idea of being able to break it in the next match. But then you get a slump, and I'm always there to help my teammates when I come back to the national team."
Nunez's woes were highlighted by his penalty miss in the shoot-out against PSG last week, which epitomised his struggles at Liverpool. Manager Slot has shown a preference for Diogo Jota in the central striking role, limiting Nunez to just eight Premier League starts this season.
The Dutch coach has been openly critical of Nunez's efforts, particularly after matches against Wolves and Aston Villa, labelling his work rate as "unacceptable work rate".
However, he praised Nunez for a return to form after assisting Harvey Elliott's goal in the first leg against PSG, describing him as "back to being the normal Darwin".
Nunez will be aiming to put in a strong performance for Marcelo Bielsa and Uruguay in the upcoming days before heading back to Merseyside.
Liverpool, currently 12 points ahead in the Premier League, will need to prepare for the Merseyside Derby against Everton on April 2, followed by a challenging journey to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage just four days later.