Federico Chiesa, the Italy international, has had a challenging start to his Liverpool career. Since his transfer from Juventus, he has only made one start in all competitions. Despite this setback, Liverpool manager Arne Slot remains hopeful and optimistic about the player's future.
Slot acknowledges that Chiesa's persistent fitness struggles are "far from ideal". However, he is not overly worried about these issues. The coach believes that the Italian star will join the squad post-international break and contribute significantly to Liverpool’s success.
Chiesa has had limited opportunities to showcase his skills on the field since joining Liverpool. His only significant appearance was a 59-minute run during Liverpool’s 5-1 thrashing of West Ham in the Carabao Cup fixture. This performance came shortly after a brief stint in Liverpool's 3-1 Champions League triumph against AC Milan.
Impact of pre-season absence
Chiesa’s game time was cut short due to missing out on pre-season training following his late August move from Juventus. This lack of preparation time may have contributed to his current fitness struggles and limited playing time with Reds.
The Italian star will also miss out on an upcoming Aston Villa fixture due to these ongoing issues. While this is hardly ideal for both player and team alike, Slot remains positive about Chiesa’s potential contribution once he regains full fitness.
Arne Slot, Liverpool manager, said:
"I would not use the word concern but it is far from ideal for him and us, Because with the injury of Dioga (Jota) we have four attackers available, so this could have been a great moment for him to get more playing time. It is difficult for a player who missed out on pre-season and playing pre-season games and training sessions. You have to give a player more time to get to the intensity levels. It is a difficult balance to get him where we want but we are trying and he is trying everything he can to get to these levels.
"Once he is at that physical level we will benefit from having him. At this moment we expect him back during the international break and then he should be with us after the international break normally."
Optimism amid challenges
Despite these challenges, there is still much optimism surrounding Federico Chiesa at Anfield. Coach Arne Slot maintains an unwavering belief in the player’s abilities and potential impact once fully fit again.
In conclusion, while Federico Chiesa's start at Liverpool may have been marred by injury problems and limited game time, the future still looks promising. With the support of coach Arne Slot and the rest of the team, Chiesa is expected to overcome these hurdles and make a significant contribution to Liverpool's success in upcoming competitions.
