One Liverpool player was noticeably absent from Darwin Núñez’s farewell photo.

A senior Liverpool player was notably absent from Darwin Nunez’s farewell photo shared on social media.

Nunez, 26, has completed a £46.3 million transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, ending his three-year stint in the Premier League. During his time at Liverpool, the Uruguayan striker tallied 40 goals and 26 assists across 143 appearances and played a key role in helping the club secure the Premier League title last season.

This summer has seen a number of changes at Anfield. Departures include Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, Luis Diaz, and Caoimhin Kelleher. In contrast, the club has brought in seven new players: Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike, Armin Pecsi, Freddie Woodman, and Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Following confirmation of Nunez’s exit, many of his former teammates shared heartfelt tributes. On Wednesday, Mohamed Salah posted:
“I was lucky to have you as both a teammate and friend. You were genuine, brought great energy, made us laugh, and always gave your all. You’ll be missed. Best of luck at your new club.”

The next day, Nunez officially said goodbye to the squad at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre and posed for a farewell photo with the team. Present in the photo were Salah, Wirtz, club captain Virgil van Dijk, and several members of the backroom staff. However, one familiar face was missing: Joe Gomez.

The 28-year-old defender, who recently resumed light training after an Achilles injury, wasn’t included in the group photo. His absence is likely related to his recovery process. Gomez had returned early from Liverpool’s pre-season tour of Asia in July to continue treatment and consequently missed friendlies against AC Milan, Yokohama F. Marinos, Athletic Club, and the Community Shield match versus Crystal Palace.

During a Thursday press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth, head coach Arne Slot addressed Gomez’s situation:
“With Joe, I need to make a call. He missed a large part of pre-season and has only trained twice. There’s a chance he could be on the bench, but I need to assess everything before deciding.”