Federico Chiesa reaches crucial week with Liverpool as Inter Milan transfer possibility claimed

If Federico Chiesa's name does not make an appearance in the Liverpool squad to face Southampton this week, it will have been over two months since he last kicked a football for the Reds. Whilst there are good intentions behind his absence, that has not prevented transfer speculation spreading like wildfire.

The 27-year-old was Arne Slot's only new arrival in the head coach's first transfer window with the Reds. In some respects it was an opportunity well-taken as he is a European Championship-winning attacker, snagged at a low £12.5m, but another perspective was the gamble in buying a player with such rotten luck in the injury department lately.

Cameos against AC Milan and Bournemouth were followed by a full debut in the Carabao Cup against West Ham. That was on September 25, the last time he saw on-field action for Liverpool.

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And now the latest word from Italy, via tuttosport, claims that to help Chiesa out of this 'nightmarish scenario' - as it be believed - Inter Milan are waiting in the wings. The reigning Serie A champions are seeking inspiration as they sit fourth in a tightly-contested title race, and The Mirror describe the San Siro as a possible 'escape route' for the attacker.

In reality there is no particularly bad reason for his ongoing absence other than he requires the time to get back up to speed with the demands of professional football, and now added to that the increased demands of the Premier League.

Formerly known for his speed and agility, an ACL tear in the season after he won the Euros damaged these key attributes and in the two years since with Juventus he was only working to get back to his best.

Going to this summer's Euros still was an exercise in personal adaptation, and as this cut down his time to get a proper pre-season before transferring to Merseyside, these are the plans being worked on with coaches at the AXA Training Centre to get Chiesa up to speed - not because of further injury or exile at the hands of Slot.

So, it remains to be seen how long it takes until the player is ready to meet the requirements of English football, or if any of these growing transfer whispers amount to anything of note.