Arne Slot Gives New Federico Chiesa Verdict After Worrying ‘Knock’ in Liverpool Defeat to PSV

Federico Chiesa delivered an impressive performance in his second start for Liverpool against PSV Eindhoven, although the match had its worrying moments for the Italian.

Arne Slot has downplayed any concerns regarding Federico Chiesa’s fitness at Liverpool, despite the Italian sustaining a ‘knock’ during the defeat to PSV Eindhoven.

Chiesa made only his second start for the Reds on Wednesday night as Liverpool secured the top spot in the league phase of the Champions League, despite suffering a 3-2 loss in the Netherlands.

The 27-year-old has endured a frustrating start to his career on Merseyside, with fitness issues following his transfer from Juventus limiting his playing time. Before Wednesday night, he had made just seven appearances, most of them brief cameos from the bench.

However, Chiesa managed to overcome some of the concerns surrounding his initial months at Liverpool by completing the full 90 minutes in Eindhoven, delivering an impressive performance. His display, though, was not without its anxious moments.

Supporters were briefly worried when Chiesa remained on the ground after being fouled by Joey Veerman, an incident that led to a penalty for the Reds. Cody Gakpo converted the spot-kick to give Liverpool the lead.

The Italy international, however, was able to recover quickly, providing his manager with another significant positive ahead of a crucial February for Liverpool.

“He got a knock with the penalty so that took him a few minutes before he got going again,” Slot said on Chiesa’s performance.

“But I think it’s been seven, eight or nine months ago – maybe even longer, I don’t know exactly – since he played 90. It’s the same for Jayden Danns, it was the same for James McConnell.

“So, we had quite a lot of players that were not used to playing so many minutes in the last six or seven months. So it’s especially for them also important that they make these 90 minutes and were able to keep competing during 90 minutes.

“OK, Jayden couldn’t manage to play the whole game, but Federico in the end was still sprinting, trying to do his work. So, positive.”

Thought

Watching Chiesa remain on the ground after that challenge was undoubtedly a concerning moment, especially considering his injury history in recent years.

Fortunately, it does not appear to be anything serious, and he provided a promising glimpse of what he can contribute as Liverpool push for silverware this season.

It would be exciting to see him given more opportunities in a stronger Liverpool lineup, though securing a regular spot will be challenging with Mohamed Salah ahead of him. Nevertheless, Chiesa has shown he can play a significant role in the team’s title pursuit this season.

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