Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso has confirmed Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa once again asked to be left out of his latest squad, admitting that there are “problems that each of us has.”
Chiesa has not represented his country since June 2024 after a lengthy battle with injury, but he has been a regular in the mind of Gattuso following the former midfielder’s arrival in the dugout this summer.
In September, Gattuso confirmed Chiesa had snubbed the chance to represent his country because he “wanted to be at 100%” and the same words were used in October when the winger again confirmed his desire to use the time to work on his fitness instead.
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Chiesa was invited to join up with Gattuso’s squad for the current break as well but, once again, informed the manager that he would not accept the call-up.
“I often talk to him,” Gattuso explained. “We have to respect the decisions and problems that each of us has.
“We know well what we tell each other, and I must respect what the player tells me. I can’t say anything else.”
Federico Chiesa
Chiesa’s last Italy appearance came at Euro 2024. / Masashi Hara/Getty Images
Asked to clarify whether the decision had been made by Chiesa himself, Gattuso added: “Yes, it’s already the fourth or fifth time that I’m explaining this.”
Injuries were a major problem for Chiesa during his first season at Liverpool last year. The former Juventus winger managed just one Premier League start on the penultimate gameweek and completed fewer than 500 minutes across all competitions.
Having featured just six times in the 2024–25 Premier League campaign, Chiesa already has eight appearances in the competition this year. He has two goals and an assist to his name but has yet to play more than 30 minutes in a single league game.
Building up his fitness remains a key priority for Chiesa, who is expected to take on a significant role for Liverpool in the coming weeks when Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah departs for the Africa Cup of Nations.
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