Darwin Nunez set to finally return after brutal decision by Saudi team

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Former Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez is set to end his lengthy absence from competitive action after receiving a Uruguay call-up for this month's international games

Darwin Nunez has been frozen out in Saudi Arabia(Image: Getty Images)

Former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez looks set to finally return to competitive soccer this week.

Nunez departed the Reds last summer, completing a permanent transfer to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. Nunez played a part in Liverpool's Premier League title success during his final season at Anfield, scoring seven goals in 47 appearances across all competitions before his £46 million ($61.6 million) move to Al Hilal.

Since leaving Liverpool, Nunez has endured an uncertain period in Saudi Arabia, with the forward being de-registered by Al Hilal last month after Karim Benzema's arrival. This has resulted in Nunez being unable to feature in Saudi Pro League matches since February.

That brutal decision has restricted Nunez to just two appearances in the AFC Champions League, which has separate registration rules from the Saudi Arabian top flight.

Nunez's most recent outing for Al Hilal came on February 16 in a 2-1 win over Al Wahda in the AFC Champions League, where the ex-Liverpool striker scored both goals.

Al Hilal was scheduled to face Qatar-based outfit Al Sadd in the last 16 of the competition earlier this month, but both legs were postponed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Nunez will return to action this week(Image: Getty Images)

Now, Nunez has been called up to the Uruguay squad, putting the striker in contention to represent his country in friendly matches against England and Algeria over the coming days.

Since leaving Liverpool, Nunez has seen his market value steadily decrease.

When Nunez bid farewell to the Reds, the forward was priced at £39 million ($52.2 million) on Transfermarkt.

However, that valuation has now fallen to £30 million ($40.2 million), despite the Uruguayan striker scoring nine goals for his new club this season.

The future of Nunez has been a hot topic of discussion in recent months, particularly during the January transfer window, when there were whispers of a potential exit from Al Hilal.

Reports indicated that Nunez was attracting interest from Fenerbahce as the striker was linked with a comeback to Europe just months after departing Merseyside.

Nunez will be setting foot on English turf again this week as Uruguay face off against England in a pre-World Cup friendly on Friday at Wembley Stadium.

This could mark Nunez's first appearance in over a month, where the former Liverpool striker will be keen to hit the back of the net for his country.