Luis Suarez is experiencing an unprecedented situation

Luis Suarez has been an undisputed starter in all the teams for which he has featured since he moved to Europe to join Groningen, having scored more than 500 goals for Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona and Atletico.

However, this season he is going through a situation that he hasn't experienced since becoming an elite striker, as he is no longer considered as a vital member of the starting line-up.

Started on the bench in two successive games

Diego Simeone decided against starting Suarez in Atletico's games against Manchester United and Celta Vigo, with the Uruguay international failing to participate in the duel with the Red Devils and playing the last 18 minutes off the bench with the Galician side.

In total, he has started on the bench 11 times this season. To put this in perspective, last season he came off the bench just twice in the 38 games he played for Los Rojiblancos.

Undisputed starter in Spain

Only in his last season at Barcelona was Suarez dropped to the bench more than four times. The Uruguayan striker didn't start in seven of the 36 games that he played but still managed to score 21 goals and produce 12 assists.

Before that, he was benched four times in 2018/19, twice in 2017/18, once in 2016/17 and was in the starting XI in all his 53 games in 2015/16.

In his first campaign for the Blaugrana, he came off the bench twice, scoring 25 goals and producing 23 assists in 43 games.

Atletico's second-top scorer

Only Angel Correa has netted more times than Suarez this season, with the Argentine having celebrated 12 goals of his own, one more than his teammate.