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Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has seen an appeal over a ban for his involvement in a brawl while playing with Uruguay rejected.

And the 25-year-old will now sit out key World Cup qualifiers for his country next month with his long-term Reds future unclear.

Nunez was one of five Uruguay players who had initially been suspended following clashes with fans after the Copa America semi-final defeat to Luis Diaz's Colombia in July last year.

The quintet and the Uruguay Football Association appealed against the bans through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, claiming the players acted in self-defence to protect their families after the game at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte in the United States, which Uruguay lost 1-0.

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However, sport's highest court on Tuesday confirmed they had dismissed the appeals.

It means Nunez, who was seen throwing a chair during the fracas, must now serve the remainder of his initial five-game suspension after missing two competitive games in September for Uruguay.

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"The panel found that in this case, the principle of self-defence does not apply and that the conduct of the players constituted a voluntary, violent and unjustified action," said CAS in a statement.

Nunez will now miss Uruguay's World Cup qualifiers in Paraguay and at home to Venezuela next month, along with the clash against Peru in September.

With four games remaining, Uruguay are in a strong position to reach next summer's World Cup in the US as they stand in third place in the 10-team South American division, with the top six countries automatically progressing.

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Nunez has experienced a difficult campaign with Liverpool, scoring only seven goals in 45 appearances while making just one Premier League start since Boxing Day for the new champions.

The Reds rejected an approach for the striker from the Saudi Pro League in January, but are braced for renewed interest from the Middle East when the transfer window opens on June 1.