Federico Chiesa has been backed to still be a success at Liverpool, and even help fill the void left by Mohamed Salah if the Egyptian leaves the Reds at the end of his contract. The Italian moved to Anfield last August in an initial £10m deal from Juventus.

The 27-year-old has made eight appearances for the club to date, starting only once, as injury, illness and struggles adapting to the intensity of English football limited his involvement.

But after returning last month after three months on the sidelines, Chiesa has come off the bench in Liverpool’s last three games after scoring his first goal for the club against Accrington Stanley earlier this month.

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The Italian is set to feature again against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday in the Reds’ final Champions League league match, with Arne Slot expected to rotate his side. Meanwhile, further opportunities will surely follow in the forthcoming weeks, with the likes of an FA Cup trip to Plymouth Argyle looming in the distance.

And while Chiesa’s impact for Liverpool has been limited to date, Chelsea legend Roberto Di Matteo is backing his compatriot to play a big role for the Reds during the second half of the season.

"I definitely think he can be a success,” the Italian told GOAL. “He is one of the best Italian players. His only downfall has been injuries.

“He has always had a few injuries in his career. If he can get fully fit and stay continuously fit and play games, he is a great player.

"I can see why Liverpool would sign him. It’s a great move, going to Liverpool – a fantastic iconic club, challenges for the Premier League, for the Champions League.

“But Arne Slot said that he has good competition from the guys ahead of him – Mo Salah, Luis Diaz etc – so it’s not easy to get into the Liverpool team.

“I think he will be an asset for them in the second half of the season. He’s looking better now, he’s played a few games, and he’s a great player if he can stay fit."

Chiesa’s last three appearances for the Reds have all come as left-winger, despite him initially being signed as an understudy to Salah on the opposing flank.

With the Egyptian rarely missing a game and enjoying an incredible campaign to date, registering 23 goals and 17 assists from 32 appearances, it is no surprise that Chiesa has struggled for starting opportunities.

Despite such form, Salah’s future at Liverpool remains uncertain with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. The forward has admitted publicly he wants to stay put but also conceded that, as things stand, he expects this to be his last season at the club.

Should Salah depart, Di Matteo admits the Reds would face an impossible task to replace the Egyptian. However, he insists that Chiesa could at least help fill the void.

“Who can fill Mo Salah’s void? That’s a big ask, isn’t it,” he said. “He’s had such an incredible career, Mo Salah, and his numbers are staggering.

“I’m not sure he (Chiesa) can fill his shoes but he can give a big contribution to the team. He can certainly be a good player for them.

“Come the second half of the season when it’s very important to have all of your players fit, hopefully he’ll be in the mix when they have to rotate because they are involved in the Premier League, Champions League, Carabao Cup, so it’s a lot of games to play.

“I’m not sure how much English fans know about him, but I really like him.”