Arne Slot on the injury suffered to Federico Chiesa as Liverpool beat Marseille 3-0 in the Champions League
MARSEILLE, FRANCE - JANUARY 21: Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, speaks to the media in a post match press conference after the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between Olympique de Marseille and Liverpool FC at Stade de Marseille on January 21, 2026 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Arne Slot speaks in his post-match press conference after his Liverpool team's 3-0 win over Marseille (Image: Stuart Franklin - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
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Arne Slot has confirmed Federico Chiesa suffered an injury before Liverpool's game to Marseille in the Champions League - and with it being decided the the forward would benefit from treatment in France.
Chiesa was part of the substitutes' bench at Orange Velodrome as the Reds beat the Ligue 1 side 3-0 thanks to a free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai, a Geronimo Rulli own goal, and a late strike from substitute Cody Gakpo, who wrapped it up with the last kick of the game.
The victory means Liverpool now just need to beat Qarabag at Anfield next Wednesday (January 28) to secure qualification to the knockout stages without the need of a play-off.
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And Slot confirmed after the game what the thinking was behind the call to bring an unfit Chiesa to the match-day squad.
“Two or three minutes after you guys (reporters) left yesterday he stepped out of the training session," Slot said.
"We took him with us because we don’t expect it to be a long-term injury, so we are here tonight and a bit longer, we thought it would be good for him to have his treatment here.
"We were hoping that he might have been fit in time but he wasn’t. He tried in the warm-up but he wasn’t able to make it."
Slot, whose side return to Premier League action to Bournemouth on Saturday before the crucial home clash with Qarabag, added: "Is it important to avoid the play-offs? That’s been the way since the start.
"The last 13 games we’ve only been 54 minutes behind. We’ve had the lead multiple times. Had to play with the same players.
"We don't have as big as squad as others. I don’t think it’s real but you never know that every time the same players are playing, it could be a reason why we run out of energy in some games where we have conceded.
"It’s more than people realise. We’re seven months in and Virgil van Dijk hasn’t had more than three days off. Same for Ryan Gravenberch and all the other players.
"They constantly show up. They constantly show mentality no matter how many games we have."