Darwin Nunez's fight could work in Liverpool star's favour after Ronaldo ruins his Euros

Liverpool star Darwin Nunez could be banned for a long period after jumping into the stands and punching Colombia fans following Uruguay's Copa America semi-final defeat. But any absence could play into the hands of his Reds team-mate Diogo Jota, who could be called upon to replace Nunez under new manager Arne Slot.

Nunez has started all five of Uruguay's Copa America games and found the net in their first two games, against Panama and Bolivia respectively.

But their tournament ended in disappointment and controversy after Jefferson Lerma's first-half header in the semi-final match gave the Colombian team victory.

The night took an unpleasant turn after the final whistle at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, when Nunez and some of his teammates climbed into the stands and confronted fans.

The Uruguayan players claimed after the incident that they had entered the stands to protect their families, who had allegedly been mistreated by the Colombian fans.

Nunez was later seen comforting his young daughter on the pitch, with Uruguayan defender Jose Maria Gimenez exclaiming in an interview: “It was a disaster, there were no police and we had to defend our families.”

When Eric Dier stormed into the stands to confront fans after an FA Cup clash between Tottenham and Norwich in 2020, he was banned for four matches and fined £40,000. And Nunez may be expecting to be punished for his actions in the United States.

If Slot is forced to do without Nunez, Jota could have an instant opportunity to impress his new manager and stake his claim for a regular starting spot.

The Portugal international will be reunited with his Liverpool team-mates in the coming weeks after helping his country reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. But the 27-year-old may be disappointed with the game time he has received in Germany, with his tournament spoiled in many ways by former Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, who turns 40 next year, has started every match for Portugal at Euro 2024 but has been largely ineffective as he has failed to score a single goal. He missed a penalty in extra time in the round of 16 against Slovenia but then kept his cool to score a penalty in Portugal's late penalty shootout win.

But the Al-Nassr player failed to deliver in the quarter-finals as Portugal were beaten by France. And there is a strong chance that Portugal would have fared better had Jota, who is in the prime of his career, been chosen by Roberto Martinez to lead the attack at the expense of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Jota was not a starter at Euro 2024 and has failed to make the impact he would have liked. And the ace would surely jump at the chance to prove his worth to Slot once the new Premier League season begins next month.