Núñez has been dropped from Al-Hilal’s squad following Benzema’s arrival.

Darwin Núñez has reportedly been left out of Al-Hilal’s Saudi Pro League squad after Karim Benzema’s arrival, in a major blow for the former Liverpool striker.

According to GOAL’s Chris Burton, the Uruguay international has been excluded because of the league’s foreign-player limit, with Benzema taking one of the restricted spots available to overseas players.

Al-Hilal are only allowed to register eight foreign players born before 2003 in their 25-man domestic squad, and Benzema’s move has effectively pushed Núñez out of league contention.

While he can still play in the AFC Champions League, Núñez now faces long spells on the sidelines in Saudi domestic football unless the situation changes.

Head coach Simone Inzaghi admitted the call was tough, explaining that squad restrictions left him with no choice and that he personally informed the players who missed out.

Núñez hasn’t been a total failure statistically, recording six goals and four assists in 16 league matches. However, his numbers also highlight a familiar issue — his finishing. An expected goals tally of 11.48 and 14 big chances missed suggest his efficiency remains a concern.

That pattern mirrors what Liverpool fans often saw: his chaos could trouble defenders, but the end product didn’t always match the promise.

With reports recently linking him to a possible move to Fenerbahce, his situation has quickly become uncertain.

For a player who left Liverpool as a Premier League champion with 40 goals in 143 games, being cut from Al-Hilal’s league squad marks a stunning and worrying shift — especially for a striker who depends heavily on confidence and rhythm.