LISBON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez will be key to Uruguay's chances of advancing to the latter stages of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, former Celeste striker Diego Forlan said on Thursday.
Nunez, 23, enters the tournament as one of European leagues' in-form strikers, having scored nine goals in 18 appearances across all competitions since joining Liverpool from Benfica in July.
"He is a footballer with a lot of quality and is shaping up to be a very important member of the [Uruguay] team," Forlan said in an interview broadcast on Portuguese television.
Forlan, who won the Golden Ball award for the best player at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, added: "He is in very good form just at the right time."
Uruguay earned a place in Qatar by finishing third in the 10-team South American group qualifiers, behind Brazil and Argentina.
Uruguay will start their World Cup campaign against South Korea on November 24 before also meeting Portugal and Ghana in Group H. ■
