Liverpool’s attacking depth was boosted this summer with the arrivals of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, but one man slipping down the pecking order is Federico Chiesa.
The Italian forward has already scored for us this season, netting the winner against Bournemouth at Anfield, yet his future role under Arne Slot looks uncertain.
Chiesa left out of Champions League and Italy squads
Chiesa has featured in more minutes in the opening four Premier League games than he managed in large spells of last season, but he was omitted from our Champions League league phase squad.
Now Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso has explained why the 27-year-old was also left out of the national team.
Speaking in a press conference, and relayed by CBS reporter Marco Messina on X, Gattuso said: “I’ll say it again, we wanted to call him up, but I saw someone who wasn’t 100% sure and for me you need to be totally pumped up when you play games like this.
“He made me understand and told me that he didn’t feel it because he needed to get back and improve certain things.”
That aligns with how our head coach has used him, with the Italian being kept as an option from the bench while new players Isak and Ekitike and preferred from the start.
Liverpool career at a crossroads for Chiesa
The attacker’s injury record has been a factor in recent seasons, and both Gattuso and Slot appear wary of his ability to sustain high-intensity football every three days.
Liverpool have already signed Florian Wirtz and Isak in deals worth over £240m, pushing Chiesa further from being a guaranteed starter.
Though his much touted exit this summer never came to fruition and that shows that there’s clearly a desire from the former Juventus player, or the club, for his Anfield journey to continue.
For now, it looks as though he will prioritise fitness and play his part in the Premier League and domestic cups, while the biggest European nights are contested without him.