Chiesa out of Italy squad just days after latest injury confirmed
Liverpool’s only summer signing, Federico Chiesa, has had a difficult start to life in Merseyside, and he’s just been handed another blow.
The Reds have enjoyed a brilliant start to the season but their newest addition Chiesa, who signed on a long-term deal at the end of the summer, has yet to make his mark on the team.
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Chiesa didn’t have a preseason so had some catching up to do when he did eventually swap Turin for Anfield, but the winger’s Liverpool career is moving slower than a lot of supporters will have hoped.
The Italian has made two cameo appearances off the bench for the Reds and also started in their 5-1 victory over West Ham in the Carabao Cup, a game where he picked up an assist.
Chiesa left out of Italy’s squad again
The 25-year-old was unavailable for Liverpool’s most recent Premier League match against Crystal Palace due to a minor injury and has now missed out on Italy’s national team squad ahead of UEFA Nations League games against Belgium and Israel.
Earlier in the week, Italy’s manager Luciano Spalletti revealed, via Football Italia, that he was keeping Chiesa in his thoughts ahead of the release of the squad but it appears that the winger is not in Spalletti’s plans for now.
This will come as a blow to Chiesa who has been capped 51 times by his nation and will want to be a key player under Spalletti.
What will it take for Chiesa to get back in the squad?
Although Chiesa’s injury isn’t suspected to be serious, the winger isn’t guaranteed minutes in this Liverpool side upon his return to fitness.
Mohamed Salah is having a stellar season and he is above Chiesa in the pecking order for the Reds’ right-wing position.
Despite this, if Chiesa can remain healthy and rebuild his fitness then opportunities will come for him, even if they are off the bench, and the winger must make the most of these opportunities if he wants to be the main man for Italy once again.
Liverpool have a tough run of fixtures approaching and a start or two for Chiesa is likely if he can get fit, so he must remain patient and focus on being available if he wants to succeed at Liverpool and return to the Italy set-up.