Arne Slot gave an explanation as to why Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa has struggled for game time this season after the Italian came off the bench to score in the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle on Sunday. The former Juventus man entered the fray with a little over a quarter of an hour on the clock and showed great composure to find the finish from Harvey Elliott's through ball in what turned out to be no more than a consolation goal for the Reds.
While it didn't impact the result, it was a reminder of what Chiesa does have in his locker. His manager's explanation as to why he has had to settle for a secondary role in the squad has become all the more eyebrow-raising following his impact off the bench at Wembley.
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Slot's Explanation for Lack of Game Time For Chiesa
The Dutchman name checked the Italian and another player with his explanation
Speaking in his pre-match press conference prior to the defeat in the final, Slot broke down why players such as Chiesa and Harvey Elliott had to settle for fewer minutes, blaming the number of games Liverpool have had to be involved in across all competitions. While this would usually give managers the perfect opportunity to rotate in order to keep players fresh, the former Feyenoord boss explained that it actually had a detrimental impact on his rotational options.
"That’s of course more difficult, because these players hardly train with the starters if you look at our schedule in the last three or four months. So if we play for example on Saturday and then we play on Tuesday again, then on Sunday the ones that played on Saturday only do a recovery session, so they’re not on the pitch.
"And then it’s the day before the game and it’s maybe 10, 15 minutes of tactics, where it’s more walking football than playing football. So there’s hardly ever a moment when they can compete with each other. But the day after the game I’m always outside, my assistants have great exercises and the players always show themselves in these moments.
"So those are moments to show where you are. If you’ve improved, yes or no, and if you come closer to the players that are starting – and of course, when they come in [off the bench]. But, I agree that for the ones that don’t start, it’s not an ideal world that we have so many games, that’s completely true."
GMS_Chiesa
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When Chiesa first completed his move to Merseyside, Slot spoke glowingly about the player and revealed how excited he was about what the European Championship winner could bring to the table. However, just a few months into his time at the club, the player's potential impact was questioned by his manager, suggesting that there may be a lack of trust.
"It’s not only for him been difficult because of all of the things you just said – I’m not going to say all these things again – in terms of match fitness, it’s also that he has to compete with the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, and Mo Salah.
"So, it’s not only about Federico when we are talking about him being limited in his playing time, it’s also about the others. It’s a combination of reasons why he didn’t play that much yet, but let’s wait and see in the upcoming weeks and months if he’s able to help us."
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All statistics courtesy of Sofascore and Transfermarkt - accurate as of 17/03/2025.