Liverpool’s Chiesa May Play Against Southampton in EFL Cup

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has indicated that Italian winger Federico Chiesa may see playing time in the upcoming EFL Cup match against Southampton on Wednesday evening, provided he has a good training session on Tuesday.

Chiesa joined Liverpool from Juventus for €15 million at the end of the summer transfer window. However, he has only played 78 minutes across three appearances in different competitions this season.

That could change soon, as Slot suggested Chiesa will likely get on the pitch against Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium. The manager does not expect Chiesa to play the full 90 minutes, given that he has not completed a full match since Italy’s 2-1 loss to Switzerland at Euro 2024 almost six months ago.

“This is definitely an opportunity for him to get minutes. The exact amount is uncertain. We can’t expect him to play 90 minutes, especially given the high intensity at this level, since he’s been out for 5-6 months now,” Slot said at a press conference.

Chiesa’s limited playing time so far is due to several factors. He missed out on proper preseason training at Juventus after being told he wasn’t in their plans. Joining Liverpool late in the transfer window also impacted his chances of breaking into the first team. Additionally, he has dealt with some fitness issues related to his disrupted start to the season.

Slot previously explained the difficulty in giving Chiesa more game time, citing the team’s busy schedule and Chiesa’s lack of recent match fitness. The Southampton match could provide a good opportunity to assess what can be expected from Chiesa going forward.