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Why Federico Chiesa is not in Liverpool's Champions League squad vs Bologna

Federico Chiesa of Liverpool before the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield on September 25, 2024 in Liverpool, England.
-Credit: (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)


Liverpool will have to do without Federico Chiesa as it takes on Bologna at Anfield this evening. Arne Slot has conceded that he expects the Italian to miss out on the matchday squad.

Eased into life at Liverpool following a Euros campaign with Italy and a practically non-existent pre-season at Juventus, Chiesa was an unused substitute against Wolves at the weekend. That came after his first start for the club against West Ham in midweek, where he recorded an assist.

But having trained as normal on Monday, he reported back on Tuesday with "some problems", Slot has confirmed. The Bologna match will now "not be possible" for Chiesa.

Slot added that Chiesa had been looking forward to the fixture and the chance to take on an Italian team, while also experiencing the Anfield atmosphere on a Champions League night for the first time. But the head coach pledged that there would be many more such nights to come (at least three more home matches are guaranteed under the new group stage format, although the Liverpool boss will be hoping for plenty more than that).

It is not thought to be a major injury, although Slot declined to put an exact timeframe on it. There's a chance that Chiesa could be in contention against Crystal Palace at the weekend, and after that he should have time to recover over the international break.

Even so, there will be a slight worry about just how often Chiesa could be sidelined with minor issues such as these. He arrived at Anfield with a somewhat concerning injury history, posing a challenge to Slot's strong track record of prevention.

Following a devastating cruciate ligament tear in early 2022, the 26-year-old has been sidelined on 12 (now 13) separate occasions. While never missing more than six games at once —the median absence is two games — it all adds up to a little under a full season of missed football.

Federico Chiesa of Italy lies injured as Jordan Pickford of England looks on during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on July 11, 2021 in London, England.
Chiesa has struggled with injuries in the past. -Credit:Paul Ellis - Pool/Getty Images

There are possible shades of when Liverpool got Thiago for what seemed like a bargain price. As in that case, there is perhaps a reason why the Reds were able to seal a deal for Chiesa so cheaply.

Having said that, there is no need to man the panic stations just yet. There was always the risk of a setback as Liverpool first eased Chiesa back to match sharpness, and the club is no doubt proceeding with the utmost caution.

Harvey Elliott will also miss the game against Bologna, as he targets a return after the international break. Diogo Jota has missed training this week with a knock he picked up against Wolves, but Slot expects him to be available.

Liverpool.com says: Given his track record, any setbacks for Chiesa will be met with a bit more concern than equivalent knocks for other players. There's no doubt that he comes with an element of risk attached in terms of his fitness.

However, Liverpool went into the deal with its eyes open. Clearly, having conducted its due diligence, the club is satisfied that Chiesa is in a position to be a major asset.

He showed a bit of that against West Ham, and hopefully it won't be long before we get our next glimpse. In the meantime, Liverpool still has plenty of firepower available as Slot prepares to face Bologna.