Yahoo Sport 
Arne Slot makes 'far from ideal' admission ahead of Liverpool v Aston Villa
Liverpool boss Arne Slot admits the ongoing unavailability of summer signing Federico Chiesa has been 'far from ideal' as the Italian seeks to get to grips with life in the Premier League. Chiesa is one of four senior players unavailable to Slot when Aston Villa visit Anfield this evening, along with Alisson Becker, Harvey Elliott and Diogo Jota.
Slot, who has guided Liverpool to the top of the Premier League and Champions League in his first season in charge of the club, has tinkered little with the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp; indeed Italian international Chiesa was a rare new face in the summer, and with Jota out Slot reasons he may have had more game time had he been ready to play.
As it is, the playmaker will miss another game when Villa and Unai Emery - who are in need of a pick me up after three straight defeats in three separate competitions - visit Merseyside, but Slot, who isn't concerned, expects him back during the forthcoming international break.
READ MORE:Aston Villa and Liverpool might share one song but these terrace chants belong at Villa Park
READ MORE:Moment driver loses control of Nissan Skyline before killing young pedestrians at Oldbury car meet
READ: My head was frazzled when Liverpool tried to buy me from Villa
READ: Luiz truth, Duran dilemma and MacPhee masterclasses - 10 things learned in 10 league games
“I would not use the word concern but it is far from ideal for him and us," Slot told the Liverpool ECHO. "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."
