Federico Chiesa during Liverpool training
Liverpool boss Arne Slot is ready to give Federico Chiesa minutes to boost his match fitness
Liverpool boss Arne Slot is planning to give Federico Chiesa some much-needed game time in the coming weeks as the Italian prepares to return to first-team action.
Chiesa joined the Reds from Juventus for around £12.5million in the summer but has struggled with injury and fitness issues. He has had to play with the Under-21s to build up his minutes recently but now finally looks ready to step up for the first team.
Earlier this month, Chiesa played 60 minutes for the Under-21s and scored against Nordsjaelland as he continues his recovery - and Slot is now gearing up to integrate the winger back into his first team squad after a challenging start to his Reds career.
There had been speculation that Chiesa could be set for an immediate return to Italy in January, with AC Milan and Fiorentina reportedly interested in bringing him back on loan. But Slot confirmed this week the winger was in contention to either face Fulham on Saturday or Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals next week - alongside the returning Diogo Jota.
[
Mo Salah shows true colours during training ground interaction with Federico Chiesa](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/mohamed-salah-liverpool-federico-chiesa-34313113)
[
Liverpool boss Arne Slot reveals what he expects from Darwin Nunez: 'We see his qualities'](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-boss-arne-slot-reveals-34312517)
"Federico missed quite a lot for a long time, and was ill last week, so we have to wait and see how he's exactly doing," the Dutchman said.
"What makes it difficult is we play so many games. What he needs is playing time, and the problem is if you haven't played for five or six months it is sometimes difficult for a manager to give him his first minutes because you don’t exactly know what I can expect."
Chiesa has featured for just 18 minutes in the Premier League this season and only played 59 minutes of Liverpool's 5-1 win over West Ham in the Carabao Cup all the way back in September.
Federico Chiesa
Chiesa has hardly featured for Liverpool since moving to Anfield from Juventus in the summer
That was the last time he played for the first-team and Slot said minutes for the Under-21s were probably not enough to assess him. However, he revealed that Liverpool's cup clash against the Saints could be the perfect opportunity to bring Chiesa back into the fold.
He added: "Maybe the Southampton game night be a good moment for him to get some playing minutes and then we will know a bit better what to expect from him. Of course, we see and know his qualities, but he needs to get his fitness levels. If you only have training sessions, that is not the same as playing time."
Chiesa's return comes at the perfect time with Liverpool challenging on multiple fronts for silverware. They top the Champions League standings at present and are four points clear at the top of the Premier League table, with a game in hand.
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.